Photo above: bradleygee / Feature photo: eric.surfdude

Right on the heels of my post about How To Be Good (Better) Drivers and Cyclists, I read this article in the Colorado Springs Gazette.

Governor Bill Ritter just signed a bill, effective August 5, that should offer more protection to cyclists on the road. It will demand that drivers give at least three feet of space when passing a cyclist, and also make the punishment for throwing an object at a cyclist more severe. (I can only assume this is a common occurrence there.)

Under this new bill, if you’re caught throwing something at a cyclist you could get hit with a fine between $250 and $1000, and face a possible jail term of three to 12 months. Not giving the three feet berth will earn you a $110 fine.

The space considerations are nothing new in some European countries, where you will see signs along the road illustrating that you must have 1 meter of space between your car and the cyclist when passing.

North America could stand to learn more lessons from Europe when it comes to this topic.

What do you think? Will this work?

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