Bicycle safe passing bill clears Iowa Senate committee | Des Moines Register

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

Iowa motorists overtaking a bicyclist traveling in the same direction on a road would be required to pass to the left in an adjacent travel lane or on the opposite side of the road under a bill approved Tuesday by an Iowa Senate committee.

The driver would be prohibited from returning to the right side of the roadway until safely clearing the overtaken bicycle rider. However, the requirement would not apply if a bicyclist is on a paved shoulder or is in a lane designated for bicycle travel.

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Bicycle safe passing bill clears Iowa Senate committee | Des Moines Register

MoBikeFed comment: In 2005, we worked with Missouri legislators to pass a bill requiring motorists to pass bicyclists at a safe distance.

The past several years we have worked to strengthen that requirement by adding language to clarify that the minimum safe passing distance is three feet. This bill was introduced again this year and received a hearing. It looks as though the bill is stalled again, by the same small group of legislators who have opposed it (and similar legislation) in the past.

The more adjoining states pass similar legislation, however, the more pressure is put in the legislators in Jefferson City to join them.