MTBLawGirl passes on word of a bill that will be of interest to bicyclists.
Earlier this month, Texas Senator Rodney Ellis and Representative Linda Harper-Brown filed the Safe Passing Bill in the Senate (SB 488) and House (HB 827) respectively. In addition to requiring more than three feet passing distance when a motorist passes a vulnerable road user, it will include penalties for throwing projectiles, “dooring”, the “right hook” (turning dangerously in front of a vulnerable road user), and more. Vulnerable road users include cyclists, pedestrians, runners, farmers on tractors, motorcycles and more. This bill, specifically the definition of “vulnerable road user” is modeled after similar legislation in Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. This is a huge step forward for Texas in actualizing “Share the Road” and reducing fatalities. Sadly, approximately 50 cyclists, 400 pedestrians and 500 motorcyclists are killed every year in Texas.
I’m guessing these are the same bills that the Texas Motorcycle Roadriders Association will be lobbying for as well. That suggests to me that there’s a decent chance of passage. If this interests you, click on over to MTBLawGirl and drop her a note.
Your stats back up my claim that it’s always better to be on a bike, in the roadway, operating as a vehicle, claiming all or most of a lane than it is to be crossing the street as a pedestrian at an intersection. Quicker, too.