Vehicles must give cyclists a minimum of 3 feet when passing starting August 4, 2009

A new law passed both houses and was signed by the governor of Colorado. The law requires all vehicles to pass a minimum of three feet away from any cyclists. The law has benefits for both motorists and cyclists. A breakdown of the law is as follows:

PASSING: The new law allows motorists to cross the center lane of traffic if safe to do so when passing cyclists.

LANE POSITION: Bicyclists will have the ability to ride as far right as is safe.

MORE THAN ONE RIDER: The bill clarifies that bicyclists may pass one another or ride side-by-side if they are not impeding the normal and reasonable movement of traffic.

ANTI-HARASSMENT: Language in the bill makes throwing an object towards a bicyclist a class 2 misdemeanor and driving towards a bicyclist in a dangerous manner a careless driving offense.

For more on the bill see the Bicycle Colorado web site.

Bicycle Colorado will have cycling jerseys for sale reminding motorists of the new in the fall of 2009. Stay tuned for the announcement.