Montana Senate president calls cyclists 'rude,' 'self-centered' before safety bill dies
HELENA — A bill to establish a safe distance between cars and bicycles sharing the road was voted down by the Senate on Monday after Senate President Scott Sales called cyclists "self-centered” and “rude.”
House Bill 267 was carried by Rep. Frank Garner, R-Kalispell. It had passed the House on a 62-37 vote and cleared a Senate committee last week on a 7-3 vote. It failed on a 24-26 vote on second reading in the Senate and was indefinitely postponed shortly after.
Current law says vehicles must pass cyclists "without endangering the person riding." But Sen. Jen Gross, D- Billings, who carried the bill in the Senate, said the perception of "safe" varies from driver to driver. The bill would have defined reasonable and prudent as at least 3 feet between vehicle and bicycle at 35 mph or less, and 5 feet at faster speeds.
“It’s a common language with defined distances we can all agree on,” Gross said.
Read more: http://billingsgazette.com/news/government-and-politics/senate-president-calls-cyclists-rude-self-centered-before-safety-bill/article_48f8ace6-84ff-56df-b41d-a2066f777e9e.html