In many Michigan communities, it’s against local ordinance to roller skate, skateboard, inline skate, or roller ski on roads. There’s language in the Uniform Traffic Code (UTC) against it.

R 28.1204 Rule 204. Use of coasters, roller skates, and similar devices restricted; violation as civil infraction.

(1) A person who is riding in, or by means of, any coasters, toy vehicle, or similar device shall not go on any roadway, except while crossing a street on a crosswalk. When crossing a street on a crosswalk, the person shall be granted all of the rights, and shall be subject to all of the duties, applicable to pedestrians.

(2) A person who is on a skateboard or roller skates, including in-line skates, shall be considered a pedestrian and is subject to all of the rights and duties of a pedestrian, except as provided in subrule (3) of this rule.

(3) The traffic engineer may designate those roadways and areas where the use of skateboards, roller skates, or in-line skates are prohibited and shall designate these areas through the posting of appropriate signs.

(4) A person who violates this rule is responsible for a civil infraction.

State Representative Steve Lindberg has introduced legislation (House Bill 6125) which would allow roller skiing on Michigan roads (and in bike lanes) albeit with numerous restrictions. Given today’s lighting technology, it’s unclear one couldn’t roller ski on roads at night if properly lighting were used.

SEC. 660E. (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (2), A PERSON MAY USE ROLLER SKIS ON THE STREETS AND HIGHWAYS OF THIS STATE AND IN AREAS AND ON PATHS SET ASIDE FOR THE USE OF BICYCLES AS PROVIDED IN THIS SECTION. A PERSON WHO USES ROLLER SKIS SHALL DO ALL OF THE FOLLOWING:

(A) ONLY USE ROLLER SKIS DURING THE DAYTIME BETWEEN SUNRISE AND SUNSET.

(B) ONLY USE ROLLER SKIS ON A STREET, HIGHWAY, PATH, OR OTHER AREA THAT IS OPEN TO PUBLIC USE BY BICYCLISTS AND ROLLER SKIERS.

(C) USE A BICYCLE LANE OR THE SHOULDER OF A STREET OR HIGHWAY, IF AVAILABLE.

(D) TRAVEL ON A STREET, HIGHWAY, PATH, OR OTHER AREA IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS VEHICULAR TRAVEL.

(E) TRAVEL ON THE FAR RIGHT SIDE OF A STREET, HIGHWAY, PATH, OR AREA.

(F) REFRAIN FROM UNNECESSARY MOVEMENT WHEN BEING PASSED BY A MOTOR VEHICLE.

(G) PROCEED IN SINGLE FILE, EXCEPT WHEN PASSING.

(H) WEAR A PROPERLY SECURED HELMET ON HIS OR HER HEAD.

(I) WEAR CLOTHING BEARING OR CONTAINING REFLECTING MATERIAL.

(2) A LOCAL UNIT OF GOVERNMENT MAY ADOPT AN ORDINANCE PROHIBITING THE USE OF ROLLER SKIS AS DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (1) ON STREETS AND HIGHWAYS, PATHS, AND OTHER AREAS WITHIN ITS JURISDICTION.

It seems silly to allow roller skis, something few people do, while ignoring skating, which many people do. Then again, Lindberg does hail from the U.P.

The bill has been sent to the House Transportation Committee.

Distracted drivers are a major source of traffic accidents. According to the US DOT’s distracted driving web site, “Nearly 6,000 people died in 2008 in crashes involving a distracted driver, and more than half a million were injured. (NHTSA)”

Pedestrians and cyclists make up a significant portion of road fatalities, so this is a major problem in our eyes.

The Michigan Legislature has been working on a texting ban — a good start to addressing this issue. Today the House passed a bill making texting while driving a primary offense, just as the Senate recently did.

It doesn’t sound ideal, but according to mlive:

Matt Bolger, a Michigan State Police legislative liaison, said distracted driving is reckless driving. The texting ban is another tool in the traffic safety toolbox officers will use when observing driver behavior on Michigan roads and highways.

And according to the Free Press, this legislation just needs a companion bill before it can head to the Governor.

A main sponsor off the bill Rep. Lee Gonzales, D-Flint, said the law would take effect July 1.

“We’re not going to put the hammer down on people,” Gonzales said, adding that it will take time for the public and police to be come accustomed to the law and how to enforce it. He said the law will make Michigan roads safer.

Given the carnage, we say go ahead and put the hammer down now. Keep the points and keep it on driver’s records.

From what we can tell, this legislation does not apply to bicyclists that text. The bill was written for motor vehicle operators as opposed to the more generic vehicle operators.

Senate Bills 389 and 1057 and House Bill 4677 will come up for a final vote in the State House of Representatives tomorrow, Wednesday, March 24th! The first bill in the package, House Bill 5752 passsed last week.

If you care about Michigan’s state parks, forest recreation areas and trails and their contribution to Michigan’s tourism economy, today and tomorrow morning is the time to call your state representative and ask them to support this legislation.

The passport will drop state park annual fees by 60% and allow a convenient, individual option that people will be able to partake of when they register their vehicle every year. By having more people participate, it is expected that enough revenue will come in to maintain and improve our state park infrastructure and award small grants to local community recreation projects.

Thanks to the champions of this legislation: Senator Patricia Birkholz, Senator Raymond Basham, Representative Rebekah Warren, and Rep. Arlan Meekhof.

Let?s give this package one last push! Call your State Representative today! You can go to www.michiganlegislature.org for contact information for your particular legislator.

For more information on state park funding, please visit the OurMichiganParks.org web site.

The state park funding (aka Recreation Passport) legislation, Senate Bills 388 & 389 , were adopted by the full Senate this morning with a vote of 24-11 and? 23-12?respectively. Now both bills go to the full House for a vote in the near future.

This vote was a major step forward towards sustainable state park funding.

There’s no knowing how the House will vote, though we did seem to have good support for similar legislation in the House’s Great Lakes and Environment committee.

Senate Bill 276, aka the Fuzzy Dice Bill, passed the Michigan Senate unanimously.

According to the Detroit News:

Fuzzy dice hanging from the rearview mirror would no longer be outlawed under a bill that won passage in the Senate today.

The chamber voted unanimously for a measure that strikes down a law that says items dangling from the rearview mirror are a no-no.

“We understand there are many distractions in cars, such as cell phones or GPS systems, but we did not feel that a rosary or air freshener was in the same league,” said Sen. Ron Jelinek, R-Three Oaks, sponsor of the bill. “This will help make it legal to do what thousands of Michigan residents already do — hang a memento from their mirror.”

Great job!

Now let’s look at some bicycle safety bills the Michigan Senate has not passed or voted on.

• Senate Bills 529 & 530 which “enhance penalties for moving violations causing physical injury or death to bicyclists and other vulnerable roadway users” according to the League of Michigan Bicyclists.
• Senate Bill 531 which stipulates that driver education “shall include information concerning the laws pertaining to bicycles and shall emphasize awareness of the operation of bicycles on the streets, roads, and highways of this state.”

Bicycle advocates in the state of Washington are also pursuing a Vulnerable User Bill. (Seattle PI via How We Drive)

Advocates for a new law argue that families of those killed or maimed deserve greater sense of justice than a traffic ticket brings. However, a conviction for negligent driving doesn’t carry much steeper punishment. Typically, a first-time offender gets probation or a deferred sentence.

“Do they need an automatic license suspension or do they need driver retraining. These are the questions that we should ask,” Hiller said. He noted that people who don’t control their vicious dogs face more criminal culpability than drivers for negligence behind the wheel.

We’re not sure if that last sentence is true in Michigan.

But, if the Michigan House and Governor follow the Senate’s lead, fuzzy dice will be safe again Michigan.