Originally Posted by
dougmc
Really? The buffer already exists? Sometimes, perhaps, but certainly not always.
Much like North Texas, most outside lanes in Austin are less than 14', and so I generally take the lane until I'm ready to let people pass (which I do often if needed.) And if there's 2+ lanes in each direction, cars generally do completely change lanes to pass, and I rarely need to let cars pass because they already can. But if there's only one lane, and I'm right in the middle of it, cars will very often pass by not going in the oncoming lane entirely, but instead by getting as close as possible to me. Sure, this minimizes the distance that they have to go into the lane of oncoming traffic (though I'm not sure how much benefit there is to that) but it also gives me no space to react to anything they might do, they might have a trailer that's even wider, etc. Ultimately, when this happens I immediately go to the far right because I'm not going to fight with a car over what used to be `my' lane. 3500 lbs of steel beats 200 lbs of meat + 20 lbs of aluminum.
Perhaps what they're doing (not properly passing me) is illegal, but if so, they're not aware of it or don't care or think the benefits outweigh the risks. A 3' (or 6' for a big truck) law would make it much more clear.
And if I am moving to the far right to let cars pass, it would be nice to have a guarantee that they wouldn't do it six inches away from me. Not that any law can provide such a guarantee, but it helps.
To quote Velociped again:
The perception of peril perceived by those who support these laws is directly proportional to the distance the cyclist positions themselves from the curb face or edge of the roadway. Those who ride in the right third of the roadway are all but inviting motorists to share the lane with them. Many will gladly oblige. Since the lane will likely be less than fourteen feet in width, the space separating the cyclist and the motorist will be less than three feet.
Slightly more experienced cyclists or those [not] suffering from an irrational concern for impeding motorists on multi-lane roads may ride a bit more toward the center of the lane. Even so, if the lane is less than fourteen feet in width, the motorist will, more often than not, attempt to straddle the outside lane rather than completely change lanes to pass. In so doing, a situation is created wherein the motorist has to juggle not hitting the cyclist with not hitting another vehicle to the left.
It is only when the vehicular cyclist takes full control of the lane that they largely eliminate any potential for insufficient clearance during an overtaking maneuver. This is because, in almost all instances, the motorist will be forced to completely change lanes to pass. When doing so, there will be a buffer of three feet or more between the cyclist and the motorist. Ergo, no need for a law specifying the passing distance.
Competency is defined as possessing requisite ability without superfluity. A perceived need for a law codifying a passing distance exceeds necessity. If one has knowledge of rights and responsibilities conveyed by the law and puts those principles into practice, a natural passing buffer is created. -Velociped
Originally Posted by
dougmc
Sorry, but a `3 ft passing law' benefits even the vehicular cyclist. Really, my only complaint about the law was section (i), and even that was fairly minor. And of course, not every cyclist is a vehicular cyclist.
(shrug) Perhaps they should become a vehicular cyclist.