With May being designated National Bike Month, many organizations around Austin are educating people on how motorists and cyclists can share the road. According to KVUE, the organization Please Be Kind to Bicyclists will be collaborating with other groups this month to share information about the Safe Passing Law.
KVUE says that Austin’s Safe Passing Law has four important parts for all motorists to remember when sharing the road with bicyclists:
- A motorist passing a cyclist must either move into another lane or pass at least three feet from the cyclist. If a motorist is driving a large truck, they must provide at least six feet from the cyclist.
- Drivers cannot pass a bicyclist and then immediately turn right in front of the cyclist. In other words, a driver may only make a right turn as long as there is a safe enough distance from the bicyclist.
- Drivers making a left turn must yield to cyclists approaching from the opposite direction.
- Drivers may not operate their vehicle in any way meant to “intimidate, harass, or threaten a cyclist,” according to KVUE.
Bicycling organizations kicked off National Bike Month by hosting the inaugural Rally for Respect. KVUE reported that CapMetro will be sponsoring the event. They will also be displaying infographics of Austin’s Safe Passing Law on 20 of its buses.
Austin has been growing at unprecedented levels. This growth has brought more people into Austin, which is why the cycling groups told KVUE that “obeying the rules of the road has never been more important.”
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Bicycling has become more prevalent by the day in Austin; unfortunately, there has been a substantial increase in the number of serious and fatal bicycle accidents in our city as well. If you would like to learn more about bike accidents, please click here.
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