Current Status of HB49 (as of 3-1-5)

HB 49 has passed the senate in an amended version. It is now back to the House for final approval. This should be a formality, but you may want to contact your representative and let them know that you support HB 49. The session ends on 3-3-05 at midnight, so don't wait.

Tell the Governor that you Support HB 49!

Please do the following: Go to this link: http://governor.utah.gov/goca/form_governor.html Type in the required info and request his support for HB 49: ask him to sign the bill. But then add that you are a cyclist that votes!

New Language for HB 49

An operator of a motor vehicle may not knowingly, intentionally, or recklessly operate a motor vehicle within three feet or other reasonable or safe distance of a moving bicycle.

This bill will also have a funding line of $20,000 for a bicycle education campaign with the Highway Patrol who can leverage it for a federal grant and thus more education.

To the bicycling community:

House Bill 49 of the 2005 session will change the law in the way that motor vehicles pass bicycles. At this time the law simply states that a car must pass at a "safe distance" which we all know from experience can be 2 inches or twenty feet depending upon the motorist. This bill will specify that when a car passes a bicycle, either from behind or head on, that there must be three feet between any part of the car (mirrors, etc) and the cyclist.

The purpose of this bill is, simply, to save lives and prevent injuries. Every car/bicycle accident is preventable: the purpose of this bill is to try to prevent such accidents.

This bill is not partisan: it does not discriminate between young or old, rich or poor, urban or rural, democrat or republican. This bill will help educate the driving public to provide more space to the cyclist and will provide law enforcement with a more definable law to enforce.

Please contact your Representative and your Senator and urge passage of this bill. Refer to it as House Bill 49. You can go to: http://www.le.state.ut.us for links to the House and Senate, and to learn more about the bill.

There will be a press conference/bicycle safety rally in support of the bill on January 26 at 11:30 am to about 12:20PM, on the grounds of the Capitol: the west side of the central plaza. Please attend wearing a bike jersey (yellow if you have one) and, if possible, bring/ride your bike. We hope that the video and print media will be there to help spread the word about this bill.

If you have any questions, go to www.cyclingutah.com or email me at [email protected].

We are confident that the passage of this bill will save lives and prevent injuries to cyclists. Any and all support would be most appreciated.

John Weis

Text of HB 49

Rally Flyer (pdf)