Cheboygan County Sheriff’s Department helps provide lights for cyclists

CHEBOYGAN COUNTY — Cheboygan County Sheriff Tim Cook said he was recently approached by local resident Jim Conboy, an avid bicyclist, about teaming up and providing bike lights to riders in the county.

“Jim said through the Rotary Club of Cheboygan, which he is a member, they teamed up with the League of Michigan Bicyclists (LMB) to see if Rotary could receive bike lights that we could hand out to those riding in dark conditions,” Cook said in a press release.

Conboy did some research and found that the league, in partnership with the Michigan Office of Highway Safety and Planning, had a program to distribute lights free of charge.

“I see many riders, especially in the dark hours, that do not have lights on their bikes,” Conboy said. “Through Rotary I was able to apply and we were awarded 25 sets of lights.”

Conboy said he wanted to make sure cyclists in all areas of the county had the opportunity to receive the lights. That’s when he reached out to Sheriff Cook.

“I talked with the sheriff and his department took off with the lights and in two months were able to get them passed out in many areas of the county,” Conboy said.

According to Cook, most of the contacts his department made with cyclists were in the morning or evening hours.

“Deputies would make contact with a cyclist without lights and assist by putting the lights on the bikes,” he said.

Cook added that for many of the riders, the bike was their only transportation to and from work or appointments.

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One of the recipients was Craig Tarvis, who thanked Deputy Jon Hutchison for his lights.

“I appreciate that I was able to receive the lights, I use my bike a lot to get around town,” he said.

According to the League of Michigan Bicyclists, 48 percent of bicyclist fatalities were reported in dark conditions.

“It is an important safety program and my hope is Rotary can continue to partner with LMB and work with other departments to pass out more lights,” said Conboy.

— Contact Jillian Fellows at [email protected].