"I reported our potential wins right after the legislative session ended, but it's now official - the Governor has signed our bill:
CS/CS/HB 1223 — Highway Safety and
Motor Vehicles
The bill contains numerous changes to highway safety
and motor vehicle laws administered by the Department of Highway Safety and
Motor Vehicles. This is a very long bill with many
sections. However, the important verbiage that
affects cycling includes the sections below. Specifically, from
the perspective of cycling in Florida, the most significant change is
clarification in the “mandatory bike lane law” that explicitly spells out when
we can leave the bike lane:
“Clarifies situations in which a
bicyclist is not required to ride in the marked bicycle lane (if the roadway is
marked for bicycle use) or as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or
edge of the roadway. The bill clarifies that a bicyclist is exempt from this
requirement when a “potential conflict” or a turn lane interrupts the roadway or
bicycle lane.
Other sections that affect cycling include the
following:
Effective October 1, 2012, requires compliance with
the federal safety standard for bicycle helmets contained in 16 C.F.R., part
1203. Helmets purchased prior to October 1, 2012, in compliance with the
existing statutory standards may continue to be worn legally by riders or
passengers until January 1, 2016.
Allows law enforcement officers to issue bicycle
safety brochures and verbal warnings to bicycle riders and passengers who
violate bicycle lighting equipment standards in lieu of issuing a
citation.
Tim says, "These are all great wins for
cycling in Florida, and are a direct result of FBA’s influence in
Tallahassee. Everyone involved should be commended, particularly
members of the legislative committee, and our lobbyists with Capital
Alliance. Additionally, I think this signals a turn-around with
our lobbying efforts, so expect good things in the future!"
No comments:
Post a Comment