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Corbett Signs Bicycle Bill Into Law

Gov. Corbett Thursday signed into law House Bill 170 (Miller-R-York) amending the Vehicle Code to improve safety for bicyclists.  The bill is now Act 3 of 2012.
            “Bicycling is great exercise and an effective, efficient mode of transportation, and Pennsylvania has miles of beautiful countryside that can be enjoyed on two wheels,” said Rep. Ron Miller (R-York), the bill's prime sponsor. “We need to do all that we can to promote the activity and protect bike enthusiasts through legislation that makes it safer for them to enjoy their sport.”
            Under House Bill 170, Pennsylvania joins 18 other states in enacting a law to establish minimum safe-passing distances. Miller’s legislation requires the operator of a motor vehicle to pass to the left of a bicyclist within not less than 4 feet at a careful rate of speed.
            “Bicycle safety is dependent on both parties having respect for the other,” added Rep. Miller. “Some motorists will try to get as close to bicyclists as possible in order to ‘make a statement’ because of a belief that they don’t belong on the road, which is not the case.
            “At the same time, while motorists must respect the right-of-way of their two-wheeled counterparts, bicyclists must be mindful of larger vehicles and adhere to the rules of the road that they must also obey.”
            With all this in mind, bill requires bicycle operators to use reasonable efforts so as not to impede the normal and reasonable flow of traffic. In addition, the legislation more clearly defines the requirement that bicyclists operate on the far right side of the roadway when proceeding at less than the prevailing speed.
            “House Bill 170 also prohibits motorists from making sudden right turns in front of a cyclist who is proceeding in the same direction,” Rep. Miller commented. “Operating a motor vehicle means being cognizant of your surroundings, including bicyclists, before making turns.”
            NewsClip: Corbett Signs Bicycle Safety Legislation


2/6/2012

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