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Cycling lobby asking for one-metre rule

By: Aldo Santin

Posted: 02/10/2011 1:39 PM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Enlarge Image

Motorists seem unsure how much clearance to give cyclists.

A cycling lobby group wants Manitoba to join the growing number of jurisdictions that require motorists to give bike riders a clear berth on roadways.

Bike To the Future wants amendments to the Highway Traffic Act that requires motorists to give a one-metre clearance when passing cyclists.

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"It's about education, not enforcement," Charles Feaver, chair of Bike To the Future's provincial committee, said. "We really feel this one issue could make cycling safer and encourage more people to give up their cars and ride."

The lobby group has made a formal request for the legislative amendments in letters to Transportation Minister Steve Ashton and Healthy Living Minister Jim Rondeau.

At least 13 states in the U.S. and Nova Scotia have enacted similar amendments, known in Canada as the one-metre rule and in the U.S. as the three-foot rule, he said.

The lobby group believes the one-metre rule is more important to bike safety than making helmets mandatory, which the group opposes, Feaver said.

The Highway Traffic Act requires motorists to pass cyclists and other vehicles "at a safe distance" without defining the distance considered safe.

Motorists seem unsure how much clearance to give cyclists, Feaver said, adding some provide anywhere from half a lane to a full lane but some only give centimetres. He said one-metre clearance is enough to ensure safety at speeds within the city.

Feaver said the lobby group understand that it takes time to pass legislative amendments, adding however it remains Bike To the Future's top legislative priority.

Ashton was not available for comment this morning but a spokeswoman said the government prefers public education campaigns and infrastructure changes designed to improve safety rather than legislative amendments and penalties that might accomplish the same goal.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca

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