Comments on: Is It Time for California to Adopt the “3-Feet-Law?”

By: e.n

e.n — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 05:25:01 +0000

and just how does the LAPD interpret “a safe distance?”

i once asked when reporting a road rage incident. the answer is: “if he didnt hit you, it was safe.”

By: Eric

Eric — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:00:17 +0000

Check out the link below the image of the bike jersey. I’m not normally a big fan of bike jerseys, I thought the “3 feet please” jerseys are really cool and promote safety no matter where you live.

By: DJB

DJB — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:29:29 +0000

This law would be good if it were enforced and people cared about it. It’s clear that there’s a long way to go.

Have you ever heard the term “bike nazi”? I have. In a class on transportation planning. It basically means a cyclist who is assertive: riding in a regular traffic lane and “slowing everybody down”. The war for hearts and minds is far from won, even among those who pay attention to these issues.

Given that a widespread change in popular consciousness is needed for laws like the 3-feet law to have any practical effect, how can this blog and other advocacy get more people’s attention?

By: angle

angle — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 23:16:03 +0000

In my experience, a “safe passing distance” is interpreted by some drivers as “I didn’t hit the cyclist”. Specifying three feet at least gives everyone a concrete standard of what a safe passing distance is.

By: bikinginla

bikinginla — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:11:38 +0000

This should be low hanging fruit. All it does is clarify existing law — instead of requiring a “safe distance” to pass, all it does is specify what that distance is.

Yet for some reason, police and trade groups seem to fight it tooth and nail all over the country. You’d think they’d all get behind it, since it removes any confusion about what’s safe, and makes it clear it’s okay to cross divider lines to pass.

By: Yangmusa

Yangmusa — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:41:01 +0000

Given how poorly existing traffic laws are enforced (for example the ban on using cellphones while driving), I doubt that a 3-foot passing law would make any practical difference.

That said – change comes gradually, and passing a law like this (even if it should be common sense!) is at least a start.