Bike Safety & Security

Cycling can be dangerous anywhere, but especially so in an urban environment. As such, it is essential to:

• Stay alert at all times
• Follow traffic laws and signals
• Be visible—put a white light at the front of your bicycle and a red light at the back
• Wear bright or reflective clothing
• Wear a helmet
• Yield to walkers on sidewalks and paths—they have the right of way

Bicycles are frequent targets for theft, especially on a college campus. Why? Because they are valuable, portable, and easy to steal. To help protect your property, we suggest you take the following steps:

• Register your bicycle. Registering your bike (or personal electronics such as a laptop) with the University of Michigan Police Department (UMPD) can assist in recovering stolen property if your bike is stolen. The registration stickers can also deter theft.
• Use a designated parking location. If you plan on parking your bike on campus or anywhere else in public, use a designated parking location. If you lock your bike to benches, garbage cans, railings, or other objects, authorities could impound it.
• Invest in a quality lock. We suggest using a hardened steel U-lock with a double-lock mechanism. Avoid cable locks, which are easy to cut through.
• Know the right way to use your lock. When locking your bike to a rack, secure it through the frame and at least one or both wheels.
• Secure or remove expensive bike accessories. When parking your bike, it is important to secure or remove accessories that might be stolen. This includes seats, bags, bottles, lights and GPS tracking devices.

The University of Michigan Logistics, Transportation & Parking Department provides user-friendly guidelines for safely biking around campus, parking, and removing abandoned bikes. For your convenience, we have included some pertinent links below:

• Bicycle safety guidelines: All the need-to-know information about bicycle safety on and around the University of Michigan campus.
• Parking locations: Learn where to park your bicycle on campus using bike racks, bike lockers and other parking locations.
• Abandoned Bike Removal Guidelines: Read about the Ordinance enacted by the Regents of the University of Michigan and how to avoid the removal of your bike.
• Bike resources: Links to bike maps, cycling techniques, tips for riding safely, bicycle clubs and advocacy organizations.

You may also want to download the Washtenaw Bicycling and Walking Coalition’s Roadway Safety for All Users, a convenient PDF guide for cyclists, walkers and drivers.