In my experience many people have no idea how much three feet really is nor can they adequately judge the side of their vehicle and how close they come to cyclist. A half lane law would make it a bit simpler for motorists to understand out how much room is necessary.
Thoughts?
(锕侊箒)~~~~----------------------------------------------------------------------
The bigger half or the smaller half?
If they can't judge three feet, they can't probably can't do fractions either.
(锕侊箒)~~~~----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ten foot lane. 8'6" wide tour bus. 2' wide bicycle. Do the math.
5' wide half lane. Cyclist in middle of their half lane. 2' wide bicycle. Bus legally passes cyclist with only 1'6" clearance and that does not include the 6" or more of bus mirror hanging out.
A cyclist on the shoulder of the road in NC was killed when a tour bus traveling in the lane slammed the back of the cyclist head with the bus side mirror.
(锕侊箒)~~~~----------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, if wishful thinking is the goal, why not just have physically separated bike lanes and be done with it (锕侊箒)~~~~----------------------------------------------------------------------
how about 'only as far to the right as is safe?' or 'as far to the right as is practicable?'
statutory clarity, many basic traffic concepts clearly and fully embodied into traffic law already.
(锕侊箒)~~~~----------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, if wishful thinking is the goal, why not just have physically separated bike lanes and be done with it
I am in China, where there are physically separated bike lanes. It does not work. In fact, it seems to make the cycling situation worse.
It does not work for several reasons; however, the real reason is the lack of respect that people show each other. Where separated lanes exist bicyclists are to use those lanes. However, the lanes are often clogged with vendors set up in the lane, cars and trucks double parked, in the bicycle lanes, and assorted debris. Add to that wrong way drivers, on bicycles, motorcycles, cars, and trucks, all using the bike lanes as a "traffic law free zone." Then throw in mix of walkers and remember, because it is for bicyclers, it gets no maintenance.
Very simply, I have seen physically separated bicycle lanes and what they become in a worst-case environment. I do not want to see that in America.
(锕侊箒)~~~~----------------------------------------------------------------------
If the bike owns half the lane, then in all but a very few exceptionally wide lanes and/or extremely narrow cars, the car will have to cross the center line to pass anyway. If they have to do that, then they have to wait for oncoming traffic to clear anyway. If they have to do that, what have you gained by giving cyclists only a half lane instead of the full lane?
As is, cyclists are allowed the full lane if they decide they need it. I think it's OK as is, we don't have to start reducing that. If you publicize that cyclists only get a half lane, then if you come near the center of the road car drivers will get pissed and may feel that they have the "right" to brush you back into "your" part of the lane.
I ride enough roads where I have to go all over the lane, or sometimes even into the other lane if there's no traffic present, to avoid road hazards (potholes, roadkill, glass, etc). I don't need drivers deciding that if I'm in the left half of the lane I'm wrong and they get to buzz me.
(锕侊箒)~~~~----------------------------------------------------------------------
I am often in the left half of narrow lanes.
Also in the left half of any width lanes when approaching intersections.
(锕侊箒)~~~~----------------------------------------------------------------------
It's not difficult for a driver to change lanes when overtaking a cyclist who is controlling the lane. I want the whole lane when I'm controlling it. Some drivers just can't seem to get their right wheels out of my lane when passing. Yesterday a driver deliberately passed with a few inches of clearance to "teach me a lesson." When I asked him why he did it he argued, then said I should have been riding in the unridable bike lane with potholes, broken pavement, and asphalt humps left by street crews. When logic failed him he threatened me with violence, the last refuge of an unrepentant car Nazi.
