BILL NUMBER: S1665
SPONSOR: HARCKHAM
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to operators of
a vehicle overtaking a bicycle or pedestrian
 
PURPOSE:
Requires vehicles overtaking a bicycle from behind to allow a safe
distance of 3 feet when passing.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends Section 1122-a of the vehicle and traffic law, provid-
ing that operators of a vehicle overtaking a bicycle from behind
proceeding on the same roadway shall pass to the left of such bicycle at
a safe distance of no less than three feet until safely clear thereof.
This would apply to cities with a population of less than one million
and towns and villages.
Section 2 states the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The majority of the accidents consisting of vehicles and cyclists
involved driver inattention and failure to yield. With the Department of
Transportation actively installing bike lanes on state roadways through-
out the state, this legislation is timely and necessary to support the
increased bicycle traffic.
A specific distance- three feet- was chosen in order to provide an easi-
ly understood distance for motorists. Specifying three feet as the mini-
mum passing distance provides adequate space for bicyclists to safely
travel on the road. New York City's population dense environment creates
a number of unique challenges to implementation. This legislation will
help keep our cyclists safe by requiring that vehicle operators keep a
safe distance of 3 feet to provide a buffer for quick decision-making
outside of New York City. This small change ensures that both cyclists
and vehicles share the roads safely for all portions of the state where
implementation is currently plausible.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2022-2024: S1724A/A4346A - Died in Transportation
2021-2022: S4529/A547A - Passed Senate/Died in Transportation
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to the State.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall have become a law.

Statutes affected:
S1665: 1122-a vehicle and traffic law