Advocacy & Safety - What new laws would improve the cycling experience?

Let's assume you had the ear of a senator and representative in your state legislature.

What changes, or new laws, would you suggest that would make the cycling experience better for all?

Yeap, short, wide open, looking for brainstorming. We can sort out good from bad later. If you wrote the laws, what would you write?

Keep the laws as they are, but lower all vehicle speed limits by 5 mph.

Save gas, lower dependency on foreign oil, slow down the mad rush a bit, piss off a lot of perpetually late-in-a-hurry drivers, make the roads a little more bike friendly - all good things.

I don't think any new laws are necessary. Better enforcement of existing laws along with stiffer penalties for breaking them would be good. Penalties stiff enough to actually be a deterrent.

Lights on bikes, white at front red at rear. Only exception, sanctioned racing events.

3 foot law.

Vulnerable road users law (http://www.biketraffic.org/content.php?id=1458_0_16_0_C)

Idaho no stop law.

Repeal the Right turn on red laws.

Eliminate the 85 percentile rules for road speeds.

Establish that a percentage of transportation funding equal to the modal share go to transportation improvements for that modal share. (if 1% of transportation modal share is by bike, 1% of available transportation funding should go to cycling accommodations)

Enforce the current laws and increase public awareness of current laws.

Focus on enforcing laws that deal with inattentive driving: i.e. eating, wiping seat from spilled coffee, reading, computing, texting, talking on the phone, all while driving.

Enable having your driver's license being suspended a real possibility for dangerous operation of vehicles: i.e. stiffer penalties.

Enforcement of current laws would be nice.

Plus educations of both drivers and police officers about them.

Questions in drivers tests regarding cyclists would also be good.

Idaho no stop law.

+1


Eliminate the 85 percentile rules for road speeds.

-1,

there's nothing more annoying than a 25mph speed limit on a busy 4-lane arterial because of a few houses that just happen to sit next to the road; in this case, every single house on the right side of the road was demolished when the road was built, about half the buildings on the left are commercial, and the limit compliance rate is close to 0%. Personally, I'm fine with any speed limit of 45mph or less as long as drivers give me sufficient space at that speed.

Teach motorists that cyclists have the same rights to use the road as any car driver.

This is not a change in any law.

I don't think any new laws are necessary. Better enforcement of existing laws along with stiffer penalties for breaking them would be good. Penalties stiff enough to actually be a deterrent.

+1. This includes law enforcement on cyclists, with a fine that can be waived by taking a traffic cycling class.

I think a 3' law is good, if your state doesn't already have one. If youc state does have a law that cyclists need to use a bike lane or path where provided, get it repealed. I think those two things are the most important.

i think all motorized vehicles should pull over when they see a cyclist approaching like they do for emergency vehicles that would be a good start

Enforcement of the laws we have would do plenty.
Example: Speed Limit 25MPH means top speed of 25MPH, not minimum speed of 50MPH.

Mandate public commercial anouncements on local TV and radio, educating people on the responsibilities of drivers and cyclists. Do it often.

Better signage on streets and roadways, leaving no ambiguity as to what is legal, and where it is legal.

Much tougher penalties for breaking the laws - include cyclists. They are some of the worst offenders I have ever seen.

Mandate Hi-Vis clothing/vests for cyclists. It's done for hunting, and is moving closer to being required for hiking in hunting areas as well. Good idea. Enough of this Stealth Biker Crap. As a truck driver - they drive me nuts with their idiotic statements of their Holy Rights. They have no right to ruin my life, or anyone else's.

Greatly increase the Drivers Test fees to pay for it all. It costs a ton to get your first license in many Euro countries. Here, they let virtually anyone drive and breed almost for free. :mad:

I wouldn't waste time and money trying to enforce an intangible: the 3-foot rule. People will simply shout about their own version of what that means, totally confusing and pissing off the cop. You can't enforce the 3-foot rule without a handy tape measure...

Pennsylvania is considering a 4' law.

Mandate Hi-Vis clothing/vests for cyclists. It's done for hunting, and is moving closer to being required for hiking in hunting areas as well. Good idea. Enough of this Stealth Biker Crap. As a truck driver - they drive me nuts with their idiotic statements of their Holy Rights. They have no right to ruin my life, or anyone else's.

Mandate for yourself buddy...I have been making myself plenty visible for 4 decades without smart fellers passing goofy laws telling me how to do so. :rolleyes:

Much tougher prosecution and incarceration of drunk drivers.

Interesting ideas, thank you.

To improve the experience of cyclists (and everyone else)

1. Set minimum age for driving licensure at 18
2. Require real driving education before licensure test
3. Enact a stringent driving test that requires more than a pulse and drooling avoidance to pass
4. Require continuing education for drivers
5. Require periodic licensure restesting (5-10 years)
6. Eliminate distracting toys in cars - dvds in dashes? WTF?
7. Ban cell phone yakking while driving
8. Enact penalties that reflect the seriousness of negligent driving
9. Increase traffic enforcement
10. Enforce laws already on the books - running lights, stop signs, speeding, etc

Take away drivers license for bad drivers. If someone drives without insurance or license, they lose their license forever and large penalty. If we weed out the bad drivers early, we could avoid not only cyclist deaths but also other car driver deaths.
Make traffic fines vary by how dangerous the action and the vehicle. A bicycle should not get the same penalty for running a stop sign or speeding as a car that could easily kill someone.

As many have said, the existing laws are not terrible and "enforcing" them would go a long way.

The rub is that this is not the pervue of the legislative branch, rather it's the judicial. Talking to a legislator won't help clarify existing law. They can write new ones that they think are clearer, which is perhaps what you are asking, but getting clarity on the existing statute so that citizens know how to follow it and officers know how to enforce it would help us.

Examples:
What does "impeding traffic" in the impeding traffic law really mean. I'm only aware of a single contest on this law. http://velonews.com/article/5496
So if you are in Ohio, the matter is more settled than elsewhere.

What does "practicable" mean in as "far right as practicable", I've never personally seen a court case on this one. Any better followers of Mionske stuff than me have an example?

Stop means you put a foot down or stop means no forward motion, which is it.

and more

Scot

Mandate for yourself buddy...I have been making myself plenty visible for 4 decades without smart fellers passing goofy laws telling me how to do so. :rolleyes:

I do mandate for myself, there, Blondie.

The question is: "What new laws would improve the cycling experience?". There is ample anecdotal testimony, plus alot more impirical evidence, that wearing Hi-Viz results in better safety in general. Not only in hunting, construction, emergency/law enforcement, but in a host of other applications. Surely, in our traffic and current infrastructure construct, you wouldn't disagree with that - or, would you.

BTW, if you are so sure this would be a "goofy" law, why don't we repeal the requirment for the wearing of hunter orange? Just a little test - to see if those "fellers" are really that smart, huh? :rolleyes:

Require continued testing to renew a driver's license, especially of any new laws.

Typical example is the guy that passed me on a 4-lane road, I'm on the far right, and he honks like I shouldn't be there. Obviously, ignorance is the problem here, but he's going to be just as ignorant 5 years from now, too. That needs to change.

Require continued testing to renew a driver's license, especially of any new laws.

Typical example is the guy that passed me on a 4-lane road, I'm on the far right, and he honks like I shouldn't be there. Obviously, ignorance is the problem here, but he's going to be just as ignorant 5 years from now, too. That needs to change.


30 second commercial spots - every one hour - 24/7 would go a long way. I also agree that re-qualifying drivers is a good idea.

I do mandate for myself, there, Blondie.

The question is: "What new laws would improve the cycling experience?". There is ample anecdotal testimony, plus alot more impirical evidence, that wearing Hi-Viz results in better safety in general. Not only in hunting, construction, emergency/law enforcement, but in a host of other applications. Surely, in our traffic and current infrastructure construct, you wouldn't disagree with that - or, would you.

BTW, if you are so sure this would be a "goofy" law, why don't we repeal the requirment for the wearing of hunter orange? Just a little test - to see if those "fellers" are really that smart, huh? :rolleyes:

Psst...brain surgeon....not every state requires orange vests...or orange at all when hunting. Additionally, there are many articles of clothing available, or easily made, that give you just as much visibility as a vest (ever seen an alert shirt?), which is why many states are not dumb enough to try to mandate some vest for construction workers or anyone else. But rather than allowing people to use their own resources to meet their own individual safety needs, you want to mandate something. Thank you for protecting us from ourselves, masa!

Sorry pal, but I think you know where I say you should stick your nanny law...or do I need to spell it out for you?

Psst...brain surgeon....not every state requires orange vests...or orange at all when hunting. Additionally, there are many articles of clothing available, or easily made, that give you just as much visibility as a vest (ever seen an alert shirt?), which is why many states are not dumb enough to try to mandate some vest for construction workers or anyone else. But rather than allowing people to use their own resources to meet their own individual safety needs, you want to mandate something. Thank you for protecting us from ourselves, masa!

Sorry pal, but I think you know where I say you should stick your nanny law...or do I need to spell it out for you?

I never said any given state, or all states, required anything. I simply said that I would prefer a law that required cyclists to wear Hi-Viz clothing/vests. I don't care if it's a yellow or lime bike jacket or a surveyor's vest. I don't care if you fly a friggin red kite from your butt crack, Cheap-com. If that is your resource, feel free to use it.

My opinion was expressly solicited in this thread. You have no right to be insulting. If you were poking me in the chest like this in person, I would put my size 13 foot up your self righteous ass. Here's a crying towel. Go blow your nose somewhere else.

30 second commercial spots - every one hour - 24/7 would go a long way. I also agree that re-qualifying drivers is a good idea.

Commercial? I think we need something people will actually see. Perhaps get Mickey D's to put it on their bags :D

Here in Michigan as IMHO most states we just need the POLICE and courts to enforce the ones we have !!! Like when I got hit last yr the driver took off turned himself in a day or so later and never even got a ticket for leaving the scene .Just need society to treat us fair instead of second class citizens because we ride a bike . just my 2 cents .

Eliminate cloverleaf intersections and other high speed merges and diverges.
Eliminate minimum parking requirements. Why should bicyclists have to help subsidize parking spaces for automobile-driving customers of retail establishments?
Create a new driver license classification with stricter requirements to operate any vehicle over 4,000 pounds.

+1. This includes law enforcement on cyclists,...

Absolutely.:thumb:

I never said any given state, or all states, required anything. I simply said that I would prefer a law that required cyclists to wear Hi-Viz clothing/vests. I don't care if it's a yellow or lime bike jacket or a surveyor's vest. I don't care if you fly a friggin red kite from your butt crack, Cheap-com. If that is your resource, feel free to use it.

My opinion was expressly solicited in this thread. You have no right to be insulting. If you were poking me in the chest like this in person, I would put my size 13 foot up your self righteous ass. Here's a crying towel. Go blow your nose somewhere else.

You'd need to get my size 14 outta yours first, if you proposed such nonsense in person, tough guy. :roflmao2:

All drivers should have to pass a bicycle riding test which includes on road time before applying/testing for a car license.

Much tougher prosecution and incarceration of drunk drivers.
A decent idea by any standards, but much more entertaining when I first read that fifth word as "incineration".

Ban cul-de-sacs, with funding available to develop residential connecting roads between them.
Allow bicycles on the shoulder of the Glenn Highway during winter when the freeway MUP is covered in snow (and, iirc, groomed for cross country skiiers.. I cannot ski no matter how much I may want to)
Repeat offenses of driving without a licence should be treated more harshly - with vehicle confiscation, and felony charges. Put an officer in the parking lot of the courthouse to sting motorists leaving to drive home from hearings in which their license was revoked.
Fuel tax to pay for transit/ped/cycle infrastructure
Requirement of public transit service to be run at a fully auto-competitive standard of service

1. Lower speed limits by 5mph, add a zero or two to fines--a speeding ticket in a motor vehicle should become a significant financial hardship. Maybe a percentage of the offender's net worth?
2. Make driving a motor vehicle in any state of chemical intoxication an attempted murder rap.
There's no difference between, say, driving with a buzz on and walking into Safeway at 5:30 in the afternoon with an automatic weapon, squeezing off a bunch of rounds and using the excuse "I wasn't trying to kill anyone, I just wanted to shoot my gun." We need to create a feeling of police state oppression for motor vehicle operators.

Not so much a law but a mandatory design requirement for SUVs. An ejector seat that goes off when an SUV hits a cyclist so that the driver is flung 10 - 15 feet into the air, 20 - 30 feet ahead of the SUV.

Otherwise, I'd settle for full and equal enforcement of the laws currently on the books.... and at least adequate training for all branches of law enforcement. Also, juries in driver Vs cyclist cases should comprise of at least 50% cyclists, preferably 100%.

Mandatory bike lane, bike path and stay-in-the-gutter-when-no-bike-lane-or-bike-path-exists laws for every state, just like Oregon. If people don't like using the provided facilities/gutters at all times, we should use the force of law to help them and correct their erroneous views on proper and socially-acceptable bicycle riding. It's for their own good, anyways.

Heh, heh.... just kidding.:thumb:

Ban cul-de-sacs, with funding available to develop residential connecting roads between them.
Allow bicycles on the shoulder of the Glenn Highway during winter when the freeway MUP is covered in snow (and, iirc, groomed for cross country skiiers.. I cannot ski no matter how much I may want to)
Repeat offenses of driving without a licence should be treated more harshly - with vehicle confiscation, and felony charges. Put an officer in the parking lot of the courthouse to sting motorists leaving to drive home from hearings in which their license was revoked.
Fuel tax to pay for transit/ped/cycle infrastructure
Requirement of public transit service to be run at a fully auto-competitive standard of service

Bravo on your first item--we used to live in a cul-de-sac. We didn't move-the county cut our street through to facilitate a new housing tract. Almost instantly, walkers and cyclists picked up on the now-through street. "Grid" street patterns are a huge benefit to human-powered travel.

In our town we like cul-de-sacs for cars but a trail/sidewalk continues in the right-of-way for non-motorized users.

Eliminate minimum parking requirements. Why should bicyclists have to help subsidize parking spaces for automobile-driving customers of retail establishments?
Create a new driver license classification with stricter requirements to operate any vehicle over 4,000 pounds.


+1

It was a sad day when it dawned on me that I spend a lot of time riding around parking lots which are barely utilized. It was a sadder day when I realized that that's the reason I can't walk to a number of places even though I live in an apartment next to a commercially zoned area.

All drivers should have to pass a bicycle riding test which includes on road time before applying/testing for a car license.

That's not reasonable. There are a lot of disabled people (many of which can't help it) who can't ride a bike. I see no reason why many of them shouldn't be allowed to drive a car.

How about adding a written test (multiple choice) to the drivers exam that asks them about cycling related issues. The last drivers exam I took required 80% accuracy. I think it would be reasonable to require a similar percentage on a 20-30 question quiz. Questions would include passing distances as well as what to do in specific situations.

Not sure there's room for this on all streets, but sure would be nice. Better than having car mirrors brush by with a whistling noise..

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008751183_bicycle17m.html