A bike-safety bill named after a cyclist killed in Gwinnett County failed to cross the lawmakers' transom Wednesday, but advocates say they'll keep fighting for it.
House Bill 180, dubbed the "Tony Serrano Three Feet Safe Passing Act" by Republican sponsor Rep. Wendell Willard of Sandy Springs, didn't make it for a vote on "crossover" day Wednesday. That was the last chance to pass legislation from one chamber of the General Assembly to the other in this session.
It means the legislation, which would have required motorists to give cyclists a 3-foot buffer when passing, cannot become law this year.
"We're definitely disappointed," said Brent Buice, the executive director of Georgia Bikes. He said his group would continue pushing for the legislation.
Serrano, the bill's namesake, died in 2004 when he was struck by a car while riding on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard near McGinnis Ferry Road in Gwinnett County.
Drivers complain cyclists bog down traffic. Cyclists complain that drivers come too close when trying to pass. Current law says drivers must only pass when it's safe. Willard's legislation would have clarified the minimum distance.
So far, 19 states have a 3-foot passing law, according to the League of American Bicyclists.
Though some drivers complain about bikes on the road, a well-known advocacy group for drivers favors 3-foot laws.
"We are very supportive of this," said Karen Morgan, a spokeswoman for AAA. "A bicycle is a vehicle too."
Morgan said surveys of the group's members suggest that a majority also support such laws, though none of those surveys were done in Georgia.
The group educates children about safe operation of bicycles.
"A bicycle is your first vehicle," Morgan said.
About the Author
