Riding Your Bike Just Got a Lot Safer
Orlando Weekly has reported that Florida has the highest number of bicyclist fatalities of all the states. For the most recent year reported, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that 161 cyclists died in Florida crashes. Alachua County has also noticed a sudden uptick in the number of cyclist deaths. However, Florida lawmakers have just passed a new cycling law in an effort to reverse these disturbing trends.
The 3-Foot Rule
Arguably, the most important part of the new law is the requirement that motorists who pass bicyclists must pass at a safe distance of at least three feet. Otherwise, they must remain behind the cyclist until they can safely pass at a safe distance of at least three feet and safely overtake the bicycle.
The law applies to bicycles, electric bikes, and scooters. The intent behind the law is that motorists will not run into the back of cyclists, which often leads to severe injuries and deaths. In fact, most Florida bicycle accidents occur on the road with motorists who fail to yield.
Other Important Aspects of the Law
Other important safety provisions that are part of the law include:
- The term “bicycle lane” is defined as any portion of a road or highway that is designated by pavement markings and signs for preferential or exclusive use by bicycles.
- There are exceptions to the new passing rules, such as when the motorist must pass to avoid an obstruction.
- The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles must provide an annual awareness and safety campaign educating motorists about safely driving around and overtaking bicycles.
- The written test to obtain a driver’s license must include 25 questions about bicycle and pedestrian safety within its question bank.
- Bicyclists can ride two abreast in a bicycle lane if they can both remain in the lane.
- When making a right turn, motorists overtaking and passing bicyclists must signal that they are making a right turn and only make the turn if the bicycle is at least 20 feet from the intersection.
Safer for Everybody
This new law is expected to make the roads safer for everybody, including cyclists and motorists throughout Gainesville and the rest of the state. By strengthening the language surrounding the bike laws and instituting public education campaigns, we hope that the new bill will save lives and more families can avoid the devastation of a serious bike accident.
The law is coming at the perfect time in light of the pandemic biking boom, which has resulted in one in ten Americans admitting to riding a bike for the first time in a year or longer and ridership on trails in the U.S. being three times as much as the year before.
For more safe biking tips, see the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ Share the Road page.
Mr. Fine was born in New York, New York, and was raised in the northeast, where he studied sociology at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. He then graduated with honors from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 1976. In law school, he was a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, was inducted into the Order of the Coif, and graduated in the top 10 percent of his class. Mr. Fine was admitted into the Florida Bar in 1976, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida in 1977, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida in 1991, and the United States Court of Appeals 11th Circuit in 1982.