'Tis the season.
It seems that many new laws take effect on 1 July. It may have to do with the fact that in many jurisdictions, the fiscal and legislative years begin on the first of July and run until 30 June.
A few days ago, I mentioned that new cycling-related laws took effect in Virginia on the first. Turns out, a new set of bicycle safety regulations also commenced on the same day. Interestingly, one of those mandates is very similar to one that just took effect in the Old Dominion.
As I mentioned in Tuesday's post, Virginia drivers are now required to change lanes when passing cyclists unless the lane is very wide. Motorists in Georgia now have the same requirement as long as it's safe and legal to chage lanes. The Peach State added another stipulation: If it's not safe or legal to change lanes, the driver must slow down to 10 MPH below the speed limit or 25 MPH, whichever is higher.
Furthermore, Georgia drivers must allow three feet between their vehicles and cyclists they pass. The "three-foot rule," which some other states and jurisdictions have, now applies in all situations when a motorist passes a cyclist. Previously, the "three foot rule" applied only when it was "feasible."
I will repeat the same observation and comment I made on Virginia's law. I haven't cycled in Georgia, but I suspect that riding there has some similiarties with Florida, where I've done a fair amount of cycling. Specifically, I suspect that it's more auto-centric than, say, New York and that in rural and even suburban areas, there might be only one road--a state or county highway--between where someone lives and works or shops. Sometimes cyclists simply have no choice but to ride alongside two-ton hunks of metal zipping along at 50 MPH. So, I think the new law is a good idea, as long as it's observed and enforced.
