In the wake of several vehicle collisions that have left bicyclists dead or injured on the Peninsula recently, legislators have proposed SB 1464.
Last year, a 64-year-old man died from injuries when a moving vehicle on the Bayfront Expressway (Highway 84) at Chilco Street.
Just this week, , and died.
Especially in this area, the co-existence of cyclists and motorists , as San Mateo Patch columnist Denise Nelson has discussed on many an occasion.
The proposed state law would make it a legal requirement for automobiles to give bicyclists a minimum clearance of three feet when passing.
The Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition has made this announcement supporting the bill, which was authored by Sen. Alan Lowenthal of Long Beach and co-sponsored by the California Bicycle Coalition and the City of Los Angeles.
SB 1464 has passed the state Senate and is up for a vote by the Assembly Friday.
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I am a serious bicyclist since the 60's and ride whenever/where ever possible. Have been doored 4 times and the last time seriously. Destroyed her drivers door and was tossed out in front of a school buss that stopped 4'-5' short of killing me. Lucky to be alive both from being run over by the buss and that the door edge did not cut my chest open with it's sharp metal edge As stated by others, there is no room for a 3 foot separation in most roads. The real problem is the lack of knowledge of the existing laws and the metrics of bicycling in the midst of automobiles. I do take the whole lane when there is not enough room for auto's to pass me. That is the only way to keep them from running into me. Only when I can keep pace with the traffic. If traffic is moving faster than I can pedal, then I either ride on the sidewalk (illegal for anyone over 12), or take another route (many times just over one block to a lesser traveled street). There are already too many laws on the books that do not work. Over loaded with laws and think we should sunset all of our laws. Those good should be renewed with a short sunset date. That would then force our legislatures to actually work and together on keeping the good ones and drafting only those which will endure
The lady who doored me jumped out yelling: "it is your fault !" as I laying on the ground with the bus bumper a few feet from killing me She continued yelling that when I got up thinking: "Lady, just pay for my medial and fix my bicycle", but she continued to yelling. So called 911. She then yelled at the EMT's, ambulance driver and the two policemen. The motorcycle cop had it and told me to stand over there... He then wrote her a ticket to have he yell even louder. It is illegal to open your door when there is on coming traffic. If you door a semi, bus, car, pickup, motorcycle, bicycle, jogger, pedestrian, etc...it is the drivers fault. That is the law I think getting doored saved that ladies life, as she would have been hit by that bus. If she had been holding her door tight, it might have pulled her out into the bus side and then possibly get run over I've encountered cyclists riding the wrong way and a headon if I continued. They thought I was going the wrong way, as they cite the recommendation of walking against traffic Education for both cyclists and drivers is the solution. Or redo the roads by widening them (not possible) In our society, only after the fact will something be done (reactionary). Being proactive is something foreign to our society, generally speaking that is
Fixed.
"Any person operating a bicycle upon a roadway at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at that time shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway except under any of the following situations: (1) When overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle proceeding in the same direction. (2) When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway. (3) When reasonably necessary to avoid conditions (including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or SUBSTANDARD WIDTH LANES) that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge, subject to the provisions of Section 21656. For purposes of this section, A "SUBSTANDARD WIDTH LANE" IS A LANE THAT IS TOO NARROW FOR A BICYCLE AND A VEHICLE TO TRAVEL SAFELY SIDE BY SIDE WITHIN THE LANE."
Perhaps if motorists didn't kill a million people per year worldwide, cyclists would be more willing to let them pass within the lane (which every cyclist knows can be scary and deadly). And yes, if a cyclist is taking the lane, you are indeed required by law to plod along at 10mph behind them until it is safe to pass. There is no right to a certain speed on the road, and if the vehicle in front of you cannot go at your desired speed, you are required by law to wait for a safe opportunity to pass. It's incredible to me that so many motorists are completely unaware of their responsibilities on the road. The Vehicle Code is available online ( http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/vc/vc.htm ), as is the Driver Handbook ( http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/driver_handbook_toc.htm ) - I suggest some of the motorists posting so arrogantly and ignorantly about cyclists read it.
As soon as I was able, I moved back into a position where I could control the lane. I have never attempted it again - it's just too dangerous. Looking back on it, it was stupid of me to attempt it. I see other cyclists doing it (many do it thinking it's safer) and I fear for their lives. Until all motorists act like you do when passing, more and more cyclists will begin controlling the lane. It's legal, and it's the safest place to cycle. It's also what the League of American Bicyclists teaches, because it saves cyclists' lives.
Why don't bicyclists similarly feel an appropriate level of shame when they do this to people? And why doesn't that shame translate into them not doing it?
Also, one size fits all, does NOT work in most things...even socks. I call that kind of thinking absolutism...one place doesn't work, there fore in all cases it shall not work, or the other side of that coin Take cycling along Crystal Springs. The 'bike lane' is about 10 inches wide and there are rocks most of the time. In order to bicycle there, one MUST be in the lane. I do NOT ride there anymore, as the cars are too impatient. The 14 year old does with his buddies and no amount of lecturing gets him off of it. Or over at Polhemus Road near Cyrstal Springs Road. Another ditto for rocks and have to ride in the lane. I sometimes get up to +40 MPH there, but only during my 5am rides when no cars are out there. When I drive, I give to cyclists because I know about cycling. There are jerks out there cycling too, as there are drivers... Knowledge, understanding and tolerance for both drivers and cyclists is the solution...until the cities can widen the roads, which is unlikely without eminent domain of lots and lots of properties....which is highly unlikely
If you have a beef about not being able to go as fast as you like, maybe you should take it up with the state. Maybe they will give you special access to the road and priority over everyone else. Would that satisfy you?
No different than asking...expecting an automotive driver to convert their vehicle to pedal power Folks who don't cycle will never understand.
Yes, you are expected to slow down and wait behind the bicyclist until a safe and legal place to pass presents itself. The good news here is that this bill will allow you to legally cross a solid double yellow when it's safe to do so in order to leave 3 feet of space. What do you do when there's a loaded 18 wheeler going slow in front of you? A bicyclist is no different.
CVC 21202(a)(3) exempts bicyclists from the requirement to keep far right for ANY condition which makes it unsafe to keep far right.
1. Do you seriously only drive on roads that have only a single lane in each direction with no passing possible? 2. Have you never had to slow down or move over for a bus or a garbage truck or a loaded 18 wheeler or an RV or a delivery truck or someone slowing to turn or someone slowing and stopping to park? 3. Is there really no possibility of you slowing down for a few seconds until there's a safe place to pass? In reality it is almost always easy to just move over to pass a bicyclist with plenty of clearance. I've driven well over a half million miles in the last 33 years and I can count on one hand the number of times I've been stuck behind a bicyclist for more than 10 seconds.