Blog
Putting the PA in safe passing
…Or rather putting the safe passing in PA. That is what Pennsylvania Walks and Bikes and the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia are trying to do.
Photo by Bruce Dean
In general, safe passing laws raise awareness among drivers that they need to 1. expect bicyclists on the road, 2. respect bicyclists’ space on the road, and 3. provide cyclists plenty of space when passing. In the event of a crash, the law gives law enforcement a clear charge: if there was contact, the driver did not provide sufficient lateral distance.
The Pennsylvania House has passed HB 170, the safe bicycle passing bill. According to the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, the law would protect cyclists in the following ways:
- Every car that passes a bike must give a minimum of 4-feet of clearance
- It will be against the law for a motor vehicle driver to pass a bicyclist and then veer sharply in front of forcing you to jam on your brakes to avoid injury
- It will be legal to ride a bike on the public road at less than the minimum speed
- It will be legal for a driver to pass a bicyclist when it is safe to do so by crossing over a double line
Darren Flusche
League Policy Analyst
Flusche joined the League in April 2009 and has a B.A. in history from Syracuse University and a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in public policy analysis from New York University.
Subscribe
November 21st, 2011 at 12:10 pm
Hi, Darren. A comment here.
There has been plenty of debate on minimum lateral passing distances being stipulated, so no need to rehash that here. One can go to the internet. I agree that its the public education value here that is important, since most states stipulate that passing must be done safely. If a motorist sideswipes a cyclist while passing, obviously that has not been safe. But as we all know, the problem here is with police and prosecutors not taking our lives seriously in those situations. And, of course, that often times only the motorist is interviewed about that cyclist suddenly swerving into the car’s path, i.e., the “one witness suicide swerve”. Yeah…
I think it is probably already illegal to pass a vehicle and cut in front it, at least the way a lot of passing laws are written. Most shey say that a vehicle cannot pass unless there is sufficient room do do so safely.
I’d be surprised if it is illegal to ride a bike at less than a minimum speed, but can you elaborate, i.e., based on Selz vs. Trotwood and elaborating on PA law?
If the last bullet was not already legal, that is a good change.
Oh, and finally, that cyclist in the picture is encouraging unsafe passing by being a “gutter bunny”, i.e., not taking a more assertive position on the road. That rider needs to be chased down and given a TS 101 course!
thanks! Keep up the good work.
November 21st, 2011 at 12:18 pm
Hi Khal,
Just to your final point about the photo – you’re right, not proper road placement. I thought about mentioning that in the caption, but didn’t want to distract from the issue at hand.
Darren
November 21st, 2011 at 12:41 pm
Hi, Darren. About that picture. I think its important to point out that safety is a shared responsibility. We can pass laws, but we also have to change behaviors, starting with our own, since that is the easiest one to start with!!
Even if that motorist had kept four feet, that cyclist is at serious risk of a diversion fall if he/she clips that curb with the front wheel.
November 26th, 2011 at 2:42 am
Thanks for the attribution to Cyclelicious, but it’s incorrect. The photo is by Bruce Dean.
November 28th, 2011 at 4:41 am
Beats Headphones studio use a warm, fairly detailed sound, thanks to the tender rubber earpieces, which also offer good isolation. Fortunately, the cables are capable of avoid being micro phonic along with any movement. Fair balance, there’s a small bump from the mid-range. But I don’t feel that has any bad affect on your enjoyment of music.