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Bicycle buffer zone: New law defines safe passing distance between cyclists and vehicles
SAN FRANCISCO - MAY 14: A sign reads "one less car" on the back of a bicycle at an "energizer station" at San Francisco city hall where bicycle advocates handed out food and drink on Bike to Work Day May 14, 2009 in San Francisco, California. Over 150,000 bicyclists are expected to participate in the 15th annual Bike to Work Day event that promotes exercise and helps reduce pollution. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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California cars and bicycles, meet your new three foot buffer zone.
Governor Jerry Brown signed into law on Monday a measure that defines the space required between bicycles and vehicles on public streets. Previous legislation stated that drivers could pass cyclists at a safe, but undefined, distance.
RELATED: California considering a three-feet buffer law for drivers wanting to pass cyclists
Sponsored by Assembly Member Steven Bradford (D-Gardena), AB 1371 amends the vehicle code to "explicitly define a safe passing distance as a minimum of three feet," according to a news release from Bradford's office.
The announcement distinguishes California as the 22nd state to adopt this type of law, and says AB 1371 will go into effect September 16, 2014.
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