If you frequently ride your bike, you’ve probably noticed patterns, and not just in close calls or bad moments, but the type of situations that keep coming up. Cars cut too close, turns can be sketchy, the drivers are surprised to see you on the road, if they even see you, because some simply don’t.
The interesting thing about those patterns is that they change depending on where you ride.
Michigan and Illinois are great examples of that.
At first glance, the laws aren’t THAT different. But you need to know the legalese to actually know (and understand) what’s going on.
For example, in both states, it’s the drivers who are supposed to watch for cyclists, while cyclists DO have to follow traffic laws normally.
But when an accident involving a cyclist/bike happens, you start seeing some clearer differences.
Neither state has better drivers; it comes down to context. How wide the roads are, how stressful the traffic is, how rules are enforced, and what drivers expect to see around them all have an impact.
And over time, those details add up and make crashes occur in somewhat predictable ways.
How the Rules Set the Tone on the Road
In both Michigan and Illinois, cyclists are legally part of traffic.
That means that you’re expected to notice cyclists and give them enough space instead of squeezing past or assuming they’ll move out of the way.
They don’t have to move – a bike is traffic. On paper, both states say roughly the same thing, but it doesn’t always feel the same.
One reason for it is communication.
Michigan is very direct about what the drivers are responsible for, especially when it comes to control and attention. The laws are firmer, and they’re harder to argue with. Illinois is broader with its laws, and it mandates safe driving and reasonable care. That still has legal weight, but in real traffic, it also leaves more room for personal judgment.
This is where you start to see inconsistencies.
If we isolate ‘distraction’, we can see that it’s serious in both Illinois and Michigan. But in states like Illinois, the focus is on banning mobile phones (specifically texting, video, etc.), which is clearly stated in distracted driving and cycling laws in Chicago (Illinois law).
Michigan is much more direct. In Michigan, any manual phone interaction at all is fully banned (even if the device is mounted); no exceptions.
Why Crashes Tend to Happen in Different Ways
Crashes don’t play out the same way, even though traffic rules are similar. Here’s why.
Turns That Catch People Off Guard
Turns are one of the biggest trouble spots for cyclists, especially in Illinois.
If you’re on a busy road, there’s a lot happening: traffic lights, pedestrians, other cars, buses, delivery vans, and bikes can blend into the background.
Turning crashes still happen in Michigan, but in a different way. Michigan’s intersections (especially in big cities like Detroit) are usually wider, and the traffic moves faster, so the issue isn’t crowding but speed and timing.
You might be over here, thinking you have enough space to turn, but then you realize too late that a cyclist is closer than you expected. An accident happens, and it’s not good.
Turns are definitely one of the biggest trouble spots in big and busy cities (e.g., Chicago, Detroit, etc.). And this has mostly to do with everything that’s going on. So many cars, so many pedestrians, dozens of traffic lights, buses, delivery vans/bikes/scooters, and of course, cyclists (everyone loves cyclists #sarcasm).
During a turn, that split second of not paying enough attention is often enough to cause an accident. If a cyclist is involved, the chance is far greater because they’re harder to see (especially at night or when it’s raining).
Passing That Doesn’t Leave Enough Space
Both states have passing laws, but the way passing feels on the road isn’t the same.
Illinois has tight lanes, and the traffic never stops, especially in super big cities like Chicago. So you might pass a cyclist too closely because there’s simply nowhere else to go; it’s not like you’re trying to get too close to them and stress everyone out.
Michigan usually has more space, but it’s accompanied by higher speeds, so it’s still risky.
A ‘quick’ pass can still be scary when you have a huge difference in speed.
Speed, Sightlines, and Road Layout
Road design is a big factor in how crashes happen.
In Michigan, you have longer sightlines and higher speeds, which, combined, create a false sense of safety. You see far ahead and assume there’s plenty of time to react, until you don’t.
The problem is usually the opposite in Illinois.
Parked cars, congestion, constant lane changes, and visual clutter mean that you have a lot less time to react. A cyclist can appear unexpectedly, from behind a car or between lanes. These differences in layout and speed mean crashes go in different directions, even when the rules are basically the same.
Conclusion
Bike crashes really aren’t random.
Michigan and Illinois follow many of the same rules, but when you look at what actually happens on the road, you can see they produce two totally different “default risks.” Michigan tends to mix space with speed, which makes timing mistakes more severe. Illinois stacks congestion, tighter lanes, and constant visual noise, which makes it easier for a cyclist to get missed in the shuffle—especially around turns, merges, and parked cars.
The takeaway isn’t that one place is safer or worse than the other. It’s that roads train behavior. Drivers get used to what they expect to see, and cyclists get used to what they have to anticipate. When those expectations don’t match the situation—an unexpected cyclist in a cluttered lane, or a faster-than-assumed approach at a wide intersection—that’s when crashes happen.
If you ride in both states, the smartest adjustment is mental: ride like the environment will create the most common mistake. In Illinois, assume the danger is being overlooked in tight, busy spaces. In Michigan, assume the danger is being misjudged because of speed and distance. Once you start seeing those patterns, bike crashes stop feeling like isolated moments and start looking like predictable outcomes you can plan around.
