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Coverage from across Michigan and the state Capitol with the Michigan Public Radio Network and Interlochen Public Radio.

House bill would require motorists to give wide berth to bikes

The state House has approved a bill to require vehicles to keep a distance of at least three feet when passing bicyclists.

 

The legislation is largely a response to a fatal accident two years ago near Kalamazoo.

 

Five bicyclists were killed and four injured when a truck plowed into the group cycling in Cooper Township. That same year, the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning says 38 bicyclists died in crashes.

 

“We’ve had a lot of bike accidents, and we want to make sure people are safe on the road,” said state Representative Holly Hughes (R-Montague). 

 

But Hughes says it’s been difficult to get an agreement on exactly how much distance vehicles should keep from bikes. She says 39 states have a variety of standards. Her bill would make crowding a bicyclist a civil infraction with a penalty of fines and three points added to a driving record.

 

The bill now goes to the state Senate, which is also considering a bill to require a five-foot gap between vehicles and bicycles.

Rick Pluta is Senior Capitol Correspondent for the Michigan Public Radio Network. He has been covering Michigan’s Capitol, government, and politics since 1987. His journalism background includes stints with UPI, The Elizabeth (NJ) Daily Journal, The (Pontiac, MI) Oakland Press, and WJR. He is also a lifelong public radio listener.