4 June 2007
Bike Safety Bill returns
Remember last year when, on her way out of the State House, Kerry Healey decided that the protection of bicycle commuters in the Commonwealth somehow conflicted with her “libertarian” values? Well, the Bicyclist Safety Bill which caused her so much ire is back, thanks to the hard work of the good folks over at MassBike:
Senate Bill 1414, a.k.a. the Bicyclist Safety Bill, has been refilled, and its first public hearing, in the Public Safety Committee, is Wednesday, June 13. For those of you who don’t remember your School House Rock, this is the first step in process of S. 1414 becoming a law. We’d like to invite anyone who wants to testify in support of the bill to attend the hearing, and anyone else to come out and show your support! We were amazed by the overwhelming support for this bill that we mobilized last year, and know that this year we can get it passed. This bill:
* Addresses the most common causes of crashes between bicyclists and automobiles by clarifying the language for how motor vehicles should interact with bicycles when passing or turning, as well as establishing a fine for crashes caused by opening the door of an automobile without looking for pedestrians, bicyclists, or other vehicles.* Provides for evenhanded enforcement of the law for both bicyclists and motorists by replacing the current enforcement procedure, which is completely unworkable, with the same procedure that police use for motor vehicles statewide.
* Creates a training program for municipal police officers, informing them of the rights and responsibilities of both bicyclists and motorists, thus enhancing safety for both of them.
* Permits bicyclists to ride side-by-side, while still requiring them to single up to facilitate passing by other vehicles.
The hearing is at the MA Statehouse, Room B-2, at 10am on June 13.
