Originally Posted by
genec
Originally Posted by Chris516
I totally agree.
But if the slap/hit leaves a dent or crack, some maniacal LEO might charge the cyclist with assault regardless of any 'passing law' violation, and the cyclist would not get exonerated until it went to court. I was passed by less than the new 'passing law' in Maryland, at one point during the summer of 2011. An LEO saw it happen, yet did nothing. I am pretty sure, if I had hit the offending vehicle with my fist, the LEO would have arrested me out of spite, ignoring what the vehicle did.
While you may be somewhat right... because of vehicle damage, one really has to wonder however if that damage is nothing more than definitive proof of violation of that passing law... it might be somewhat interesting in a courtroom.
It comes down to this, if the car is close enough to hit, it is too close.
I agree 110% with that. If a car passes a bicycle close enough that the person riding the bicycle can not only make physical contact with said car, but can also do so leaving some sort of evidence that they connected with the car then said car was way too close to the bicycle and they have no one else to blame for the damage to their "precious" car then themselves.