After an uptick in bicycle crashes, Utah law enforcement, Bicycle Collective plead for change

SALT LAKE CITY — After statistics in recent years showed an increase in bicycle crashes and a decrease in riders wearing helmets, both Utah law enforcement and Bicycle Collective are asking drivers and cyclists to make the roads safer.

One crash victim, Levi Roberts, believes his helmet saved his life. But he still feels the pain of the crash today, nearly a year later.

“I landed on the ground, I was in total pain. It was one of the only times I felt like I couldn’t move,” he said.

In 2023, Roberts was knocked off his bike by a truck moving roughly 15 to 20 miles an hour. He said the driver didn’t see him.

“The lasting injury I had was a broken tibia, and I had two pins placed in it. I had surgery, kind of put my leg back together,” he said.

Sgt. Ryan Sanders with the Salt Lake City Police Department said he sees it all the time — drivers not leaving the required 3-foot pad for cyclists, and cyclists not wearing the right safety gear.

“We can keep each other safe, and you know we can all enjoy the roads and share it together,” Sanders said. “Including wearing reflective clothing, having reflectors on your bike, and then also certain things such as using hand signals — which is a law.”

Both Roberts and Sanders agree that a little extra effort and awareness can prevent accidents and save lives. They and the Bicycle Collective are asking travelers to remember that cyclists share the same rights and responsibilities on the road as cars do.

“It’s given a lasting impression on me,” Roberts said. “I’m a dad. I love my children. The first thing I want is to come home to them, my wife, every day.”