In the wake of recent collisions that have left bicyclists in Berkeley dead or injured, our question of the week is about SB 1464.
The proposed state law would make it a legal requirement for automobiles to give bicyclists a minimum clearance of three feet when passing. The East Bay Bicycle Coalition supports it.
Here's what the law would do, according to an Assembly analysis:
1)Authorizes drivers on a two-lane highway to drive to the left of double solid yellow or double solid white lines or double parallel lines, one of which is broken, to pass a bicyclist proceeding in the same direction under certain conditions.
2)Establishes the "Three Feet for Safety Act" that requires:
a) A driver overtaking and passing a bicycle proceeding in the same direction on a highway to do so at a safe distance that does not interfere with the safe operation of the bicycle;
b) A driver to provide three feet distance between the vehicle and the bicycle or its operator when passing; and,
c) A driver to slow to a reasonable and prudent speed when passing a bicyclist if the driver is unable to provide the minimum three-foot passing distance due to traffic or roadway conditions.
3)Makes failure to comply with the "Three Feet for Safety Act" an infraction punishable by a base fine of $35.
4)Requires a $220 fine to be imposed on the driver of the motor vehicle who is found to be in violation of the "Three Feet for Safety Act" that a collision occurs between a motor vehicle and a bicycle causing bodily injury to the bicyclist.
SB 1464 has passed the State Senate and is up for a vote by the Assembly. The governor vetoed a similar bill last year. How would you vote if it were up to you? Share your thoughts below.
If you'd rather remain anonymous, you may email your comment to emilie.raguso@patch.com.
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Bikers should also be required to Have "LIABILITY INSURANCE" the same as Motorist. There are reckless and "road bully bikers" as well as negligent Motorist.
Cyclists should of course obey the laws too. However an automobile has approximarely 100 times the potential for bodily harm as a bicycle, and there are approximately ten times as many automobiles on the road. Thus enforcement efforts should be skewed 1000 to 1 towards motorists.
Cost: I've already paid to build those roads through my taxes. My bike weighs 20 lbs and does absolutely no damage to them. Your (and my) car weighs 2,000-4,000+ lbs and does substantial damage (just look at any roadway and see where all of the cracks and potholes are: right where the car tires travel). The cost should be proportional to the amount of damage caused by the vehicle using it. Yet you're asking cyclists to subsidize the cost of the damage from cars? That doesn't make sense. Liability: A 20 lb bike travelling at 15mph will (in most cases) do very little damage to anything/one it hits, except the rider. A 4,000 lb car travelling at 40 mph will usually cause substantial damage and mayhem or death to anything/anyone it hits, yet the driver rarely suffers any damage. 40,000 deaths per year are caused by cars/drivers in the U.S. There's a reason for the imbalance in liability costs.