[SUX VR40 Rider]

I did not think I would have to blog about bicycle safet and advocacy issues so early in 2011. But here are the first 2 of the year:

First collision of the year
Iowa Senate File 96

[funetical]

Are you assuming the driver was in the wrong? I read your links, there was nothing to lead me to believe that either were in the wrong.

If you are just blindly siding with cyclists, you are missing your mark.

Please let me know I am wrong. I want to be wrong. What I read was Dude got hit, no more info, and that doesn't make anyone wrong.

[worthlees]

The article stated the driver did not stop after the incident, in most state that is called
hit & run. Next time it will be a child at a cross walk, is that fair game too? Driver was
most likely on a cell phone.

[CTD50]

The driver DID stop, according to the article I read; doesn't really mitigate what happened, though.....

Instead of three feet, I'd prefer to see "half the lane" when passing.

[SUX VR40 Rider]

Originally Posted by CTD50

Instead of three feet, I'd prefer to see "half the lane" when passing.

When it was first attempted to have some sort of bicycle safety laws passed in Iowa I beleive it was in 2009 there was something like 6 or 7 items that made up the so called bicycle safety bill. That did not get very far. In 2010 it was tried again with only 3 or 4 things and the safe passing law was 5'.

This year it is only a safe passing law and at 3'. The reason for 3' instead of 5' or half a lane is a lot of our rural 2 lane highways are only 22' wide with no usable shoulder, which is 11' for each lane. Imagine a 9' or 10' wide commercial truck trying to safely pass with 5' of space. With the 5' requirement the width of that truck becomes 14 to 15' wide. Does not leave a whole lot of room. With requirement being only 3' it will still give large vehicles plenty of space to stay on the road when passing.

And yes I have been passed by a semi travelling at 55 mph so I know what it is like. Most pass at a safe distance.

This law will be very difficult to enforce. What the intention of it is, is not if, but when a cyclist is hit by a motorist it is designed to hold them more accountable and provide for harsher penalties.

I honestly do not think this law will reduce the number of over takign or passing collisions that occur between motorists or cyclists. I do not think it is a proactive law, but a reactive one. If anything when motorists catch wind of this law it may actually increase the number of collisions, at least before it is signed into law. Or another possibility is the large number of motorists who hate cyclists being on the roadways will be even more pissed off and use it as an excuse take it to the next level thus increasing the number of collisions.