Missouri Bicycle News Article

With December 1st the earliest day to prefile bills for the 2010 legislative session, Missouri legislators have already introduced a couple of bills of interest to bicyclists and pedestrians.

Pass bicyclists with minimum three feet clearance
Rep. David Slater of Cassville has introduced a bill to require motorists to pass bicyclists with a minimum clearance of three feet. HB 1250 is a fairly simple change to the "safe passing of bicyclists" bill supported by MoBikeFed that passed in 2005:

The operator of a motor vehicle overtaking a bicycle proceeding in the same direction on the roadway, as defined in section 300.010, RSMo, shall leave a safe distance, when passing the bicycle pass safely at a distance of not less than three feet, and shall maintain clearance until safely past the overtaken bicycle.

Because it is a more definite and easily understood (minimum) standard, the three foot minimum passing distance helps in a civil or criminal case where bicyclists have been passed unsafely. When it comes to a court case, whether the motorist has left a "safe distance" is a matter judgement, whereas if a motorist hits a bicyclist, it is clear that the three foot distance has been broached as a matter of fact rather than as a matter of judgement.

See MoBikeFed's stand on this issue in our Legislative Platform.

Ban texting while driving
A law passed in the 2009 legislative session bans texting while driving for drivers under 21 years of age.

HB 1276, sponsored by Rep. Don Wells of Cabool, will ban all texting while driving (with some exceptions for police and emergency personnel, and emergency situations), no matter what the driver's age:

Except as otherwise provided in this section, no person twenty-one years of age or younger operating a moving motor vehicle upon the highways of this state shall, by means of a hand-held electronic wireless communications device, send, read, or write a text message or electronic message.

Banning texting while driving seems like a complete no-brainer, and it--along with other measures to reduce distracted driving--is supported by MoBikeFed's legislative platform.

Labels: 2009legislative

Related:

News: MoBikeFed legislative update

News: MOBikeFed supported Bicycle Safety Bill scheduled for hearing in Missouri Senate

News: Columbia bicyclist harassment ordinance brings out the bicycle haters

News: Recent trial verdict exposes weakness in Missouri bicycle law

News: Dead Red for bicycles and Safe Passing of Bicycles provisions pass Missouri Senate