Rocky Mountain Cycling Club
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Governor Owens signed House
Bill 1218 on Friday, June 3. His signature officially makes it law in Colorado
with changes taking affect on July 1. The key points of HB 1218: Summary This bill authorizes
bicyclists to indicate a right turn with their right arm, strengthens the
requirement that bicyclists ride single file if impeding traffic, and removes a
contradiction regarding the safety zone of a crosswalk. HB 1218 Makes Roads
Safer Currently our three laws
assign automatic fault to a bicyclist hit by a car, even if the motorist is out
of control. Injured bicyclists across the state are faced with severe costs for
hospital services, long-term physical therapy, and missed work even though they
were behaving safely. Common Sense
Traffic Laws HB 1218 clarifies the
rights and responsibilities of bicyclists on roads and pathways. The new
language gives police and the legal system the power to cite the person who
behaves unsafely. Right arm turn
signal Pointing
where you intend to turn is simple, intuitive, and easily understood by drivers.
CDOT’s State Bicycling Manual even shows it as a proper signal. Single-file riding
if impeding traffic Current
law puts cyclists at risk if they ever ride side-by-side. Even on a quiet road
with a wide shoulder, side-by-side cyclists are automatically at fault when hit
by an out of control car from behind. Cyclists
do not want to be hit by a car; they always lose. This bill aligns cyclists’
responsibilities with other slow-moving vehicles. Current
statue requires single-file riding only when cars are within 300 feet. It is
impossible for a cyclist to measure this distance behind while riding. 43
states allow side-by-side riding. Bicycle tourists bring over $250 million of
revenue to Colorado each year and are usually unaware of our one-of-a-kind law. Bicycles crossing
roadways Most
young children ride bikes on sidewalks and bike paths. If they ride across a
street in safety crosswalk and a motorist runs a red light hitting them, the
child is automatically at fault. Their parents are responsible for medical
costs. Crosswalks
are safety zones to protect non-motorized road users. Let’s make them safe. Statute
42-4-1412 (10)(c) specifies, “A person riding a bicycle … upon and along a
crosswalk shall have all the same rights and duties applicable to a
pedestrian…” Removing statue (10)(d) removes the contradiction. And to see the actual House
Bill 1218,
click
here. |