hotbike

First,let me state that most drivers pass my bicycle with seven to ten feet of clearance. Three feet is a very close distance for a car to come near a bicycle. If I may make an analogy to a baseball game, the fog line on the road is -like- the foul line on a baseball field... if you land on the wrong side of that white line, it is a strike against you... okay, that was an analogy, or a metaphor ... Driving is more serious than baseball, no one ever gets killed at a baseball game. I take all kinds of precautions when I ride, I wear a reflective vest, I have lights , LED lights that I use even in daytime, I carry a red flag because hand signals are not well understood, I use a rear-view mirror, and I try to always pull over for trucks , buses and ambulances... Other cyclists will Not agree with me, they will say "drivers will start to expect cyclists to pull over, and someone will get killed"... That's why we need a law like the proposed legislation. There are plenty of reasons a cyclist can't always pull over, it could be the lack of any room whatsoever , a steep drop-off, a pothole, or broken glass or other sharp debris that could puncture a tire.
The people I'm worried about are the women, children and the elderly, or anyone who may not be in top physical shape. Consider that some cyclists may be novices, and other more experienced cyclists may have pushed themselves past the limits of human endurance and are counting on coasting and fair winds to carry them home.
I urge everyone to be careful, obey the speed limit, and practice defensive driving, i.e. let the other guy have the right of way, even if he is doing something wrong.

hotbike

The newspapers server crashed or something, I can not get a link to the original story... please stand by...

hotbike

3-foot bicycle rule heads to Wyoming House floor

^Link to the article^

obed7

three foot rules may look good on paper, just try to get your local law enforcement to spend time enforcing it...most of them think they have better things to do...you and your wits are the only true safety measure you have out on the road....never rely on the rules, never expect folks to follow them.

digger

The 1 metre (3-foot) law was passed here in Nova Scotia in 2011. Those involved in the...marketing of this law emphasized it as an educational tool first, and a legal recourse for cyclists second.

This is what's posted on the provincial website. Frequently Asked Questions | novascotia.ca

A handout was created for the public with a more condensed version of what is contained in the website - targeting both motorists (non-cyclists) and cyclists. It was an effort to try and be even-handed to both non-cyclists and cyclists.

By the by, this statement "The people I'm worried about are the women..." might get you in a little hot water. Woman are equally capable cyclists, and men are just as easily to "not be in top physical shape."

ItsJustMe

The only real way to enforce this is to fasten a 3 foot flash flag on your bike with a jagged metal bit at the end. Violators will have the crud scratched out of their paint jobs.

Chris516

Here, Their first excuse is, they have to see it. The follow-up excuse is that they have more important things to do.

This is why I 'take the lane'. So the motorists' see me in front of them.

mconlonx

I had luck when I reported an assault -- car passed close by and passengers with arms hanging out hit me. Driver said they didn't see me, but they also didn't stop. When the police caught up with them, cop said they couldn't pin assault on them because it was supposedly unintentional, so I suggested they get ticketed for violating our state 3' passing law, and that's what they did. I should have pushed for hit and run, but whatevs, just happy I wasn't hurt and the young driver now has a record regarding an incident with a cyclist.

Hypno Toad

oddly, Texas does... Well Austin, is that really part of Texas? I can't find the link now and have to run, but I saw a video about a year ago about police riding (in street clothes) bikes with a support squad car and issuing ticket to drivers for being too close while passing.

Additionally, in the city where I work, I sent this video to the police and they did track down the driver with a warning.

gpsblake

Never ever gets enforced here... Bicycling advocates go bananas getting their 15 lines of fame in the newspaper about it, then the law is completely ignored by law enforcement and quickly forgotten about by the public.

Education and signage is much more effective then wasting bicycling lobby money on those laws.

mconlonx

Laws like these are education and actually make it into driving instruction. I don't see them as ineffective, but perhaps not practically effective.

obed7

man, you about cracked me up when you asked if Austin is really part of Texas? That is a continual debate for folks who do not live in Austin....gonna avoid politics and just say that Austin is more kin to San Francisco and Denver, that it is to the rest of Texas....Trying to get police in Houston to touch the 3' law enforcement is a waste of time...it is the he said, she said... they don't see it, it did not happen...if you ride up by my farm in east Texas, it is not the 3' you have to sweat, it is the half full beer cans being lobbed at you as the dualie goes by.

tsurr

we have had the 3 foot law in Tennessee several years, never heard of anyone getting a ticket , most drivers are careful but there will always be a few who see how close they can get

howeeee

you are right, i really dont care if they stay a little closer, they are going to do what they do, no matter what the law is. I was riding yesterday and most were driving very close to me. Some people will stay far some dont care and will be right on top of you. Laws arent going to change it.. people for the most part have no idea what the laws are when it comes to bicycles. Last week I had one guy horn me for about a solid minute, I didnt budge one inch, just kept my space, was on a residential street, the guy thought I should be on the sidewalk.

alcjphil

You can pass laws, but they have to be enforced. Politicians are all about appearances. Unless law enforcement is on board with making things safer for vulnerable road users, nothing will change

Chris516

Very well put.

Maryland 'recently' started posting signs that say 'Cyclist May Use Full Lane'. Maryland already has a 3ft. passing law. That went into law in 2010. But regardless of the 3ft. passing law, and the new signs. Motorists' still ignore it, as do law enforcement.

Cybergrinder

Hi All, sorry to say that in South Africa there are only awareness campaigns (See https://www.pedalpower.co.za) who use the tagline "Cyclists stay alive at 1.5". Fortunatley I've never been hit but stories of cyclists being taken out are all to common

In addition the traffic enforcement is pathetic (I'm being polite) (with the possible exception of Cape Town, SA's most bike friendly city). What makes things worse there is a faction of motorists who not only try to see how close they can get, actually cut off cyclists and assault them after the resulting crash.

Makes you wonder why I'm considering emigrating to the UK....