Tim Potter, Manager of MSU Bikes
A few years ago there was a wildly popular video about a moonwalking bear that went around the bike world. Everyone found the video very clever and seemed to agree with the video’s punch line, that motorists need to be looking more carefully for us bicyclists out there. However, I believe the stronger lesson to be learned from the video is that people driving motor vehicles are simply NOT going to notice people dressed in dark colors.
So, my advice? If you want to survive the streets and paths DON’T wear dark colors and do everything possible to be seen when you’re out and about near motor vehicles. We offer a wide variety of accessories to help you be seen, from simple reflectors that can be added to your mobility vehicle, safety vests (which never run out of batteries!), to high-powered lights for the rear or front of your vehicle. We can also special order just about anything from our vendors if you need a light that we don’t stock. 
Another aspect of being safe/ being seen while moving about a community, especially when traveling on sidewalks alongside roadways, is to always travel with the direction of traffic and cross streets and intersections with the flow of traffic (of course always doing shoulder checks towards oncoming traffic before crossing). I realize this may be counter-intuitive and go against what you’ve been taught, but many of the accidents between motor vehicles and bicyclists and (I’m assuming) faster-moving vehicles on sidewalks occur when the motorist is looking to their left for oncoming traffic for a gap in traffic and then turning right without ever looking on the sidewalk to their right for oncoming bicyclists, pedestrians or others.
Finally, I highly recommend you get yourself a small bell for politely informing other sidewalks/ path users of your presence and need for room to pass and if you need to inform someone who’s decided to make themselves deaf with those large headphones or distracted motor vehicle drivers an air horn can be a real lifesaver (we can special order those air horns which can be refilled with any standard air pump over and over). I’ve had to use my air horn many times to avoid being hit as I travel up and down Grand River on my daily commute, so I speak with plenty of experience!
Our web page about bike safety has a lot of other helpful hints and suggestions that might also be of interest to people traveling on motorized mobility vehicles.