A new state law is intended to prevent car-bike crashes.
The law, which has now taken effect requires motorists to keep at least three feet of clearance as they pass bicyclists. Motorists will have to pay a $100-dollar fine if they don’t comply with the law.
According to the Florida Department of Transportation, there were nearly five-thousand crashes between motorists and cyclists in Florida last year and those are just the reported crashes. It’s estimated that the actual number of car-bike crashes is four times higher.
The bicycle safety coordinator with the FDOT says the buffer zone should increase for motorists traveling at higher speeds. Drivers on a two-lane road should move into the oncoming lane, or slow down, as they pass a cyclist.
