Dear Representative,
Please support a hearing for HB 5934 in the House Committee on Insurance.
I’m an enthusiastic bicyclist. Getting out for a bike ride has been one of my favorite things during this difficult year, and I feel fortunate that Michigan is such a beautiful state for biking.
It’s not always a safe state for biking, though, and I’ve heard about many people who have been seriously injured in crashes this year.
As a state, we can do more to care for crash survivors. Many face months or years of recovery and may be unable to work for long periods, especially if they’ve suffered a brain injury. People who ride a bike as their primary transportation may not have enough coverage for this care, especially if they don’t own a car and so don’t have car insurance. Any bicyclist can face financial hardship or even medical bankruptcy if the bills become high enough. And the recent no-fault insurance changes don’t address this issue, so there’s a lot of uncertainty about this – it’s a complicated topic!
I’d like you to help find a solution. HB 5934 was introduced in June, and it would amend the no-fault auto insurance law to protect bicyclists. Uninsured bicyclists would have guaranteed access to the Assigned Claims Plan, and could rely on it for medical care, rehabilitation, and wage loss protection if they had a serious traumatic injury from a car crash. The bill is supported by the League of Michigan Bicyclists.
I support the bill as well. It’s a lot better than the uncertainty we’re facing now. It deserves a hearing from the House Committee on Insurance, chaired by Rep. Daire Rendon. Please do all in your power to see that it gets one.
You might be hearing from insurance companies too. I’ve heard that they’re asking you to wait on any fixes to no-fault, because they want to see how SB1 plays out for their bottom lines before making any changes. But if you wait, that will mean that bicyclists like me remain vulnerable for months. We need to speak up for all the bike riders out there who depend on bicycles for transportation – not to mention everyone riding for their physical and mental health during the pandemic.
Thanks again for your time. I hope you get a chance to go for a bike ride too! And I hope you’ll help make those rides safer and care more certain for every Michigan bicyclist.
References:
HB 5934: http://www.legislature.mi.gov/mileg.aspx?page=getObject&objectName=2020-HB-5934
Bicycle crash: https://www.freep.com/story/
Bicycle crash: https://www.9and10news.com/
Bicycle crash: https://www.mlive.com/
Bicycle crash: https://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/2020/08/driver-hits-bicyclist-leaves-him-alongside-jackson-county-road-police-saybicyclist-hit-by-driver-left-alongside-jackson-county-road-police-say.html
No-fault changes: https://www.youtube.