I am not sure if this has been posted before, however I came across a post through a local cycling advocacy organization:

While New York State currently has a safe passing law, it leaves a lot to be desired. It's ambiguous and isn't easy to enforce. Each person can interpret what "a safe distance" means in their own way.

In order to resolve this issue and make our roads safer, New York State needs to adopt a law that requires a minimum safe passing distance of at least 3 feet. This means that every person who is driving a motor-vehicle must pass people who are biking by giving them at least 3 feet of space.

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