Saying that she is "not one for cyclists being on the road," and conceding occasional road rage when she encounters bicyclists demanding their fair share of the concrete, a Georgia motorist nonetheless confided to a news reporter recently that she fully supports new pro-bike legislation just signed into law by Governor Nathan Deal. She says it will forge better recognition of bikers' rights and help prevent accidents.
Georgia cyclists uniformly say they are fraught with fear over speeding motorists who seem to disregard them as they ride -- legally -- on the shoulders of roads. The new law makes some changes in their favor.
Notably, state motorists will now have to steer clear of bicyclists riding on the side of the road by at least three feet. That will reduce the feeling described by one cyclist as "very scary when a car comes by you with a rear view mirror, 6-7 inches off your shoulder."
Drivers interviewed by media recently seemed to generally support the change, although one obvious concern was voiced, namely, that a motorist will now occasionally have to slide slightly over or merge outright into another lane -- sometimes an oncoming lane -- to avoid violating the three-foot distance law.
The new law, which was signed on May 11, is scheduled to take effect from July 1.
Related Resource: WJBF News Channel, "New Law Will Have Georgia Drivers Moving For Cyclists on the Road" May 15, 2011
