photos by Ridgewood PD
New Jersey bicyclists could get 3 foot buffer zone from cars
MAY 19, 2014
A bill attempting to make the roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists would require drivers to keep at least three feet between their car and a bike rider was moved out of its state Assembly committee on Thursday.
It was just one of three total bills released last week that attempt to address bicycle and pedestrian safety. Another would fine drivers $500 if they commit a road violation that causes an accident with a cyclist, and a third would require cars to slow down or move over when approaching a cyclist or pedestrian.
All three bills carry a maximum $500 fine.
These laws would be the first of their kind in New Jersey. Right now, drivers are required to be vigilant of cyclists and to observe basic motor vehicle rules, but New Jersey’s Title 39, which focuses most closely on cyclists, does not contain specific rules for drivers to follow when interacting them. These bills would provide these laws.
All three bills were moved out of the Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee on Thursday; Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto will next decide whether to bring them forward for a floor vote.
Assemblyman Christopher J. Brown (R-Burlington, Atlantic, Ocean), who sponsored the bill that would fine drivers for hitting a cyclist, said a constituent’s call moved him to push the law forward. The state’s congested roads, Brown said, were further impetus.
The laws are well intentioned, according to bicycle safety advocates. But they said they must be regarded as a first step.
“A three-foot (passing) rule is a good starting point,” said Trenton Cycling Revolution Chairman Dan Fatton, whose organization promotes bicycle safety and ridership in the New Jersey city. “It sounds like a positive step. But it’s not quite far enough.”
https://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/68111-new-jersey-bicyclists-could-get-3-foot-buffer-zone-from-cars
