Todd Spain has been cycling for 29 years and he said safety is always on his mind.

"I'm seeing more cyclists who are expressing concern and a disinterest for riding on an open road for fear of confrontation with a motorist," Spain said.

And for years, Apex Police Department Captain Ann Stephens said it was the cyclist who reported careless motorists on the road but recently things have changed. Drivers have complained about cyclists not following the rules.

"We started an educational phase several months ago, going around to cycling shops and talking about the North Carolina laws they must follow," Captain Stephens said.

Spain said motorists and cyclists must both take responsibility.

"There is an education process happening on both sides. The cyclist community is trying to make sure everyone is safe."

Spain said he is trying to do his part to educate cyclists, but said there is one big reason why they need more time to learn the rules.

"One of the challenges we have is that we pass through multiple counties and cities and each government has there own set of rules," Spain said.

For example, Apex has a town ordinance that there can only be two cyclists riding side by side on the road. But other rules apply state-wide including waiting until a red light turns green.

"We're still trying to do an educational phase, but now we're starting the enforcement phase, where if we see a cyclist breaking the law that may result in receiving a traffic citation," Captain Stephens said.

Spain said it may be too soon for the department to issue tickets. But he said he will continue to ride with one mission, staying safe and helping others to do the same.

Captain Stephens encourages everyone to report careless cycling or driving to the police department. They plan to follow up on every complaint.