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Road rules
Texas senators voted today to require auto drivers to leave at least a three-foot buffer when passing bicyclists and other “vulnerable road users.” The measure by Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston and an avid cyclist, requires truck drivers to leave a six-foot buffer when passing vulnerable road users.
Removed from the bill as a result of an amendment by Houston Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, was a passage making it illegal to “harass, taunt or throw an object or liquid at or in the direction of any vulnerable road user.” Ellis and Patrick said there are other laws to protect cyclists and others against somebody who would throw things at them.
“How do you define taunting? What is taunting?” Patrick said after the vote.
See video below for comments by Ellis and Patrick.
The bill, SB488, is headed for the House.
Not sure if you’re a “vulnerable road user?” Here’s the list in Ellis’ bill:
“A pedestrian, including a runner, physically disabled person, child, skater, highway construction and maintenance worker, tow truck operator, utility worker, other worker with legitimate business in or near the road or right-of-way, or stranded motorist or passenger, a person on horseback, a person operating equipment other than a motor vehicle, including a bicycle, handcycle, horse-driven conveyancer unprotected farm equipment, or a person operating a motorcycle, moped, motor-driven cycle, or motor-assisted scooter.”
Get more Legislative coverage inside the Virtual Capitol
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By Tommy Jefferson
April 21, 2009 4:15 PM | Link to this
Why do journalists have such an aversion to putting the actual number of the bill in these articles so people can read the thing themselves on the Texas Legislature website?