Old 03-29-11 | 08:18 PM
  #14  
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dougmc
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Joined: Jul 2008
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From: Austin, TX

Bikes: Bacchetta Giro, Strada

Originally Posted by oystercatcher
I was knocked off my bike the other day by an impatient driver in a parking lot.
Traffic laws typically don't apply to parking lots. So there will be no ticket, period.

As for "three foot passing rules" -- in general, they only cover passing. [I'm generalizing for the entire country here, as you haven't said where you live and I probably don't know the specific law there -- there could be exceptions.]

If somebody hits you from behind, or does a left hook, or right hook, or even if they change lanes into you -- that doesn't count, because it's not passing. On the bright side, in general these things are prohibited by other laws, so a ticket can be given out -- it just won't say "three foot passing violation".

And if somebody does pass you at less than three foot and there's a collision -- there's usually another law that the driver can be cited under ("failure to yield", "improper passing", "unsafe lane change", etc.) and the police will usually go for that rather than "three foot passing violation".
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