Motorists must now allow for a set amount of clearance when passing bicyclists on Ohio roads, 614Now.com reports.
House Bill 154 – which cleared the Ohio Legislature on December 8, 2016, and went into effect on Tuesday, March 21 – sets at three (3) feet the minimum distance motor vehicles are required to give when passing to the left of bicycles.
State law previously stipulated that drivers provide a "safe distance" when passing bicyclists, but did not elaborate on what satisfied that standard..
According to Cleveland.com, this "three-foot passing distance is a standard supported both by the American Automobile Association (AAA) and the League of American Bicyclists." Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Bay Village already had three-foot clearance laws in effect before the passage of HB 154.
The Ohio Bicycle Federation, which lobbied for HB 154, is running a "#give3feetOH" campaign to raise awareness for the new passing requirement.
Posts
