"You Gotta Keep 'em Separated!" Support the 3 feet passing law in Virginia for Bikes

You know the old Offspring song "Come Out & Play" with the line - "You gotta keep 'em separated." Well, never mind that - but it comes to mind when talking about cars and bikes. For all the bickering that you here between drivers and bikers (and I one to add to the bickering), one thing that people tend to agree on is "you gotta keep 'em separated." The more separation between a car and a bike, the better. Me, when I can, I ride on the bike path. And that's most of the time.

But same is true on the road. Between one ton of four wheel steel and maybe 200+ pounds of bike and human, the one ton of steel will always crush the bike and the human. Kind of like rock paper scissors, where biking beats pollution and cars beat bikes.

When a bike and a car must share the road - "you gotta keep 'em separated." And by "separated," weeze mean 3 feet. Hell, when you park your car your would not park closer to another car or a brick wall for fear of chipping your paint. So how about it, you think maybe not killing a biker is worth three feet?

From the Virginia Bicycle Federation

SB 928 ‘Three Feet’ Bill Needs Your Support Now

by admin on February 9, 2011

As we reported yesterday, SB 928, the three feet passing bill, was passed unanimously by the Senate on Monday. It’s now headed to the House, where it must get through committee and then a full House vote.

This bill increases the minimum passing distance from 2′ to 3′ for motorists passing bicycles, and adds bicycles to the list of vehicles that a motorist shall not follow more closely than is reasonable (prohibits aggressive tailgating of bicycles).

It may be heard in committee as early as Thursday morning, Feb. 10; or it could be heard by the full Transportation Committee next Tuesday morning, Feb. 15.

Please write to your delegates now, and ask them to support SB 928 — especially if your delegate is one of the committee members listed below.

The Who’s My Legislator page will tell you who your delegate is.

BikeWalk Virginia has posted an alert too, along with a sample letter.

Chairman:

May, Joe T. /Loudon 804 698-1033
deljmay@house.virginia.gov

Vice Chair:

Oder, G. Glenn/Newport News — PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT

Members:

Carrico, Charles W., Sr. /Galax 804 698-1005
delccarrico@house.virginia.gov

Cosgrove, John A./Chesapeake 804 698-1078
deljcosgrove@house.virginia.gov

Rust, Thomas Davis/Herndon 804 698-1086
deltrust@house.virginia.gov

Hugo, Timothy D./Fairfax 804 698-1040 delthugo@house.virginia.gov

Scott, Edward T./Culpeper 804 698-1030
delescott@house.virginia.gov

Tata, Robert/VaBeach 804 698-1085 delbtata@house.virginia.gov

Villanueva, Ronald A./VaBeach 804 698-1021
delrvillanueva@house.virginia.gov

Comstock, Barbara J./Fairfax 804 698-1034
delbcomstock@house.virginia.gov

Garrett, T. Scott/Lynchburg 804 698-1023
delsgarrett@house.virginia.gov

Cox, John A./Hanover 804 698-1055
deljcox@house.virginia.gov

Cleaveland, William H./Roanoke 804 698-1017
delwcleaveland@house.virginia.gov

Habeeb, Gregory D.
delghabeeb@house.virginia.gov

Ward, Jeion A./Hampton 804 698-1092
deljward@house.virginia.gov

Ebbin, Adam P./Arlington 804 698-1049
delaebbin@house.virginia.gov

BaCote, Mamye E./Newport News 804 698-1095
delmbacote@house.virginia.gov

Brink, Robert H./Arlington 804 698-1048
delrbrink@house.virginia.gov

Toscano, David J./Charlottesville 804 698-1057
deldtoscano@house.virginia.gov

McQuinn, Delores L./Richmond 804 698-1070
deldmcquinn@house.virginia.gov

Carr, Betsy B./Richmond 804 698-1069
delbcarr@house.virginia.gov

Filler-Corn, Eileen/Fairfax 804 698-1041
delefiller-corn@house.virginia.gov