0

Discussion on Cyclist’s Rights

Over at Reddit, there is a post about Critical Mass which has turned into a very interesting discussion about the rights of cyclists in general.

I post this because there is a lot of commentary both positive and negative about cycling on the streets.  Unlike comments that tend to appear under mainstream news articles on the subject, this thread has a lot of intelligent comments which I think are worth reading.

0

The 3-Foot Law passes in Mississippi

This happened while I was out of town, but Mississippi finally got a 3-foot law!  The law does not go into effect until July 1st, at which point I will not be living here.  But for the rest of my fellow cyclists in the magnolia state, this is great news.

The law covers a few things, but the three biggest problems on the road are covered:

• Motorists must allow 3 feet of space between their car and a cyclist.
• Motorists can not make right turns unless they have plenty of room to do so,  this is a constant problem where I ride.  I guess motorists underestimate how fast a bike is actually going.
• Taunting or harassing a cyclists can now be punished with a fine.

The law also spells out some areas that were vague under the previous rules.  For instance, it is now stated that a cyclist needs to stay as far to the right as practicable unless certain conditions apply (hazards, making left turns).   It also clarifies that you don’t have to ride far to the right when proceeding straight in a place where right turns are permitted.  I’ve been riding like this anyhow, after all, I’m not turning right, so why should I be in that lane?  A police officer on his loudspeaker apparently didn’t agree with me one morning.  Nice to see this is spelled out plainly.

I don’t think it will be an instant change on the roads, but I think it will make a difference.  After riding in neighboring Louisiana (which has similar laws already) a good bit, I’ve noticed that drivers are much more aware of cyclists and drive better around them than they do in Mississippi.

0

Please help Reed Bates

Cyclelicious posted this earlier, I think this is extremely important as it concerns the rights of cyclists everyone, and especially those in Texas.

Richard summed it up about as good as one can, so I’ll quote him:

I am part of a group trying to raise funds for a worthy cause, a fight against an injustice done to a Texas cyclist. Some of you may know him. His name is Reed Bates. Until recently, he penned the ChipSeal blog.

The police have stopped Bates numerous times in and around Ennis, Texas. Most notably, he was arrested and jailed for the ‘crime’ of riding a bicycle on the road. He was riding on the roadway, not the shoulder, so the county sheriff’s department decided he had to be taught a lesson.

In short, he was arrested and convicted of impeding traffic while operating a bike on public roads. I don’t have to tell anyone what a horrible precedent this sets for us in a world already hostile to our rights.

Reed is now working on an appeal and needs our help to do so, I urge everyone to chip in what they can.

More Info:

• Original post on Cyclelicous
• Let Him Ride – Official defense fund site
• Reed’s Blog

2

Mississippi getting a 3 foot law?

That’s what we are hoping. I recently received an email from our states main advocacy group: Bike Walk Mississippi about a bill currently in motion.  In addition to mandating a 3ft minimum for motorists to pass, it also makes clear other issues which were previously a bit vague in our current transportation code.

My personal favorite section is this:

SECTION 7. Any person who maliciously and knowingly harasses, taunts, or throws an object at or in the direction of any person riding a bicycle shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of One Hundred  Dollars ($100.00) for the first offense; a fine of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) for a second offense; and a fine of Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) and imprisonment for seven (7) days in the county jail for the third offense.

This is great news for Mississippi.  It has passed both the House and Senate committees and will not make its way to the floor for voting.  I’ll be contacting my reps today in support!

0

Ft Collins analyzes bike accidents

Cyclelicious has a fantastic piece of some research Ft. Collins did on bicycle safety.  Over 9 years the city took a look at data from accident reports and came up with some really great data.  Some of the numbers surprised me, but the conclusion was a good one:

For the 9 year period that Ft Collins examined, the accident rate is 0.93 per 1,000 population. Compare that against an injury rate of 7.7 per 1,000 population for all people involved in car accidents. There were four bicycle fatalities in Ft Collins in nine years, compared against two to four traffic fatalities total each year.

Ft Collins analyzes bike accidents – Cyclelicious.

0

Dr. Thompson is found guilty of all counts in LA road rage trial. – VeloNews

I’m sure most of you are familiar with the case of Dr Thompson who decided to stop in front of two cyclists to “teach them a lesson”.  Today the verdict was handed down and justice prevailed.

A Los Angeles Superior Court jury on Monday found Dr. Christopher Thomas Thompson guilty of assaulting cyclists by abruptly stopping his car in front of them on a hilly Los Angeles County road last year.

Thompson, a former emergency room doctor, was found guilty of six felonies and one misdemeanor and could face as much as five years in prison.

via Dr. Thompson is found guilty of all counts in LA road rage trial. – VeloNews.

7

Do the police ever hassle you?

On my ride to work this morning, a police officer told me to “get over to the right” over his loudspeaker. While this is fantastic advice, I was already as far right as I could get while still being in forward-moving traffic.

I was riding between a busy turning lane and normal traffic and was not turning.  Had I gotten all the way over as he told me, I would have been stuck in a turning lane waiting for traffic to break so I could actually move forward.  In a bolder than normal move for me… I simply ignored him.  I knew I was following the law, and while I certainly didn’t welcome any further action on his part, I knew the law was on my side.  I had a similar incident happen before, and after that I kept a print-out of the bicycle section of the Mississippi Vehicle Code in my panniers,  perhaps I should print another copy.

Does anyone else get hassled by the authorities?  How do you deal with it?