Three Feet for Safety Act

News: California Road-Sharing Law Goes Into Effect September 16th

The “Three-Feet-for-Safety Act” legally mandates that California motorists give bicyclists at least three feet of space when passing them on the road and also provides a way for law enforcement to enforce safe passing.  The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, the Automobile Club of Southern California,   California Highway Patrol-Border Division and San Diego Police Dept. will launch locally the “I GIVE 3 FT” safety awareness campaign on Tuesday, Sept. 16, the day the law goes into effect.  The traffic safety groups are urging motorists to give bicyclists at least 3 feet clearance when passing. Read more…

The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition was proud to play a role in getting this law passed by supporting the “Three-Feet-for-Safety-Act” in conjunction with the California Bicycle Coalition, who led the state-wide efforts to get it passed. 

View the new California Vehicle Code Section 21760.

Now that we have this important safety measure as law, the Bike Coalition will continue to work with local law enforcement to help educate the public about the new law and its importance to all of us who share the road. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Proving a Violation

Support our “I Give 3 Ft” bicycle safety awareness campaign by donating or becoming a member of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition today.

Spread the word on Facebook + twitter. 

County Residents Prove It’s Better By Bike Getting Around San Diego

Local panel divulges top tips and tricks to encourage family biking at San Diego’s first Bike Fiesta this Saturday (at new San Diego Central Library)

WHAT: At San Diego’s first Bike Fiesta, six residents from around the County will host an interactive panel to shatter the stereotype of “Minivan Moms” and the “Spandex Cyclist.” The panelists, composed of parents, small business owners and bike-lovers, will explain there is no excuse to prevent you and your family from getting around San Diego County via bicycle, especially during National Bike Month.

Additionally, the Bike Coalition plans to give away free children’s helmets to the first 50 kids at Bike Fiesta, courtesy of the Tony Hawk Foundation. 

WHO:

·     San Diego County Bicycle Coalition

·     Six local San Diegans who want to share how they’ve incorporating bicycling functionality, fashion and fun into their family lives:

o    Nicole Burgess- Bicycle Advocate and Mom from Ocean Beach.

o    Mariah VanZerr- City of Coronado Active Transportation Planner

o    Chris Taylor- Father, local attorney and passionate bicycle supporter in South Park.

o    Judi Tentor: Mission Hills resident living 100 percent car-free and with some of the best bike fashion in San Diego.

o    Laurel Graziano– Owner of Alterna Bikes in Solana Beach – a shop specializing in cargo bicycles.

o    Sandra Pimentel- Advocate and women’s riding expert 

·     Hundreds of community members and people who love bikes

·     Local bicycling companies including Tern, Performance Bicycles and Bikes del Pueblo

WHEN: Saturday, May 10, 2014, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

A schedule of Bike Fiesta activities include:

·     10:30 a.m. – Bike Commuting 101: Tips and tricks to bike to work smartly

·     Noon – Film Screening of bicycle film, “MASH”

·     1 p.m. – Family Riding Panel Discussion – Six people from San Diego County share tips and tricks for bicycling with kids, pets groceries – and looking good while doing it.

WHERE: San Diego Central Library – 330 Park Blvd, San Diego, 92101

WHY: May is National Bike Month, and in an effort to get folks of all ages and levels pedaling in San Diego, the Bike Coalition and other sponsors put together a few hours to inspire community members of all ages, lifestyles and experience to ride while celebrating all things bicycles. 

Bicycle Commuting Assistance

We understand that not everyone will be devout bicycle commuters, but we hope these excuses listed below are not holding you. . . your friends. . .or your loved ones back.

France Offers Money to boost Bicycle Commuters

Could you imagine being paid to ride your bike to work? $1.00 for every two miles of your commute . . . Yes Please!! France is introducing this incentive, along with 24  other initiatives aimed to increase bicycling to work in France. The “Plan Velo” proposal, introduced last week, is aimed to help curb pollution and promote bicycle commuting. Ireland and other European countries already have similar programs in place to great success. At the moment, companies must reimburse employees some of their travel costs, paying rail or bus season tickets plus a mileage allowance for those who drive to work. (ed. note -The program to offer incentives for bicycle commuters is still an idea from the French government at this stage, note that Paris is offering a 25% rebate against the purchase of electric-bikes). An allowance for bicycle commuters is the next logical step. 

France, Paris in particular, is experiencing a pollution problem, forcing officials to issue health warning to the elderly and pregnant woman. In response, the transit system is offering free rides to abate commuters traveling by car. The solution is not so simple for a country with deep cycling roots, after WWII, France embraced the automobile. On Monday, thousands of citations to defiant car drivers with the wrong number-ending license plate were issued. Political opponents and car associations criticized the restrictions, saying it would be tough to police and would be seen as a political ploy.

France is especially vulnerable to air pollution because it is 60 percent dependent on diesel cars. In the 1960s, the French government and industry made a strategic assertion that diesel engines were less polluting, and would gradually supersede, unleaded gasoline. For nearly two decades, France has been aware of its mistake. Diesel engines are more polluting than their counterpart, the gasoline engine.  Fumes from diesel cars, as well as industrial emissions and agricultural fertilizers, are blamed for increasing the micro-particles in the French atmosphere to dangerous levels. This situation is not unique to France but is rather an unintended consequence of modernization, especially in nations that are quickly developing.

Here in San Diego, we do not have the pollution problems of Paris or our close neighbors north of us, Los Angeles. To continue to have clean, healthy air, we should think about solutions to decrease our dependence on single passenger automobiles, and look at more sustainable alternatives like riding our bicycles and public transportation.

Sources-

Les Echos- Le gouvernement annonce 25 mesures pour encourager l'usage du vélo

New York Times- Fighting Pollution, Paris Imposes Partial Driving Ban

by Joel Flood