Cyclists are riding a bit safer thanks to a new state law that went into effect Tuesday requiring motorists to leave a 3-foot buffer of passing distance for cyclists or face fines.
Authored by Assemblyman Steven Bradford and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, the law is designed to lessen cyclist-related traffic accidents, which average roughly 130 deaths and more than 12,500 injuries every year, according to the most recent data from the California Highway Patrol.
Effective immediately, peace officers can fine motorists when they believe drivers are violating the law.
Sgt. Riley Harwood with the Santa Barbara Police Department said that while officers may begin issuing citations at their discretion, there is no plan for any targeted enforcement.
“There are no stakeouts planned,” Harwood said. “Basically, obey the rules of the road, like everyone’s supposed to, and accidents won’t happen.”
Motorists can be issued a citation for violating the law in three ways: either by driving too closely to a cyclist, through a complaint issued by a cyclist or as a result of a collision investigation, according to Harwood.
Fines can range from $35 to $220.
Assembly Bill 1371 passed the California Assembly in 2013 and was signed into law after two previous attempts in 2011 and 2012, which ended in a veto.
California now joins 23 other states that have passed similar laws.
When traffic conditions make driving within 3 feet of a cyclist impossible, motorists are required to slow to a speed that is “reasonable and prudent” and pass only when it will not endanger nearby cyclists.
— Noozhawk intern Shaun Kahmann can be reached at skahmann@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
