Enforcement is a key component to ensure safe and secure travel options. Law enforcement agencies have a role to play in raising awareness about safety issues; influencing behaviors and social norms; setting policies; and reinforcing and supporting educational and engineering programs and strategies. One of the ways that enforcement can advance safety for bicyclists is by enforcing safe passing laws. Although laws vary by state, most states require motorists to give at least three feet of passing room when overtaking other motor vehicles or bicycles moving in the same direction. The general consensus across these passing laws is that motorists should wait until traffic conditions are clear and safe to comfortably pass a bicyclist before moving back into the lane, as they do when passing other motorists. Some states even require a motorist to completely change lanes in order to pass safely.

Learning how to safely and considerately pass an individual or group of bicyclists is an important skill for motorists. In fact, 28% of bicyclist fatalities nationally are caused by motorists overtaking cyclists illegally. However, these laws are not emphasized in driver education and training and often are not enforced. One enforcement technique outfits an officer with a bicycle with a camera and a device to measure distance. When a motorist passes a bicycling officer too closely, the officer can radio to another officer to pull over and educate the motorist on the law or issue a citation.

Resources

Advancing Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety: A Primer for Highway Safety Professionals
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Summarizes the most promising infrastructure and behavioral programs addressing specific safety problems and highlighting implementation strategies.

Safely Passing Bicyclists Chart
National Conference of State Legislatures
Summarizes legislation across states with varying minimum passing distances.

The Effect of High-Visibility Enforcement on Driver Compliance with Pedestrian Right-of-Way Laws
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Determines the extent of observed increases in motorist yielding nearly 4 years after the implementation of a high-visibility enforcement intervention program.

Bicyclist Stop-as-Yield Law Analysis
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Analyzes the effects of stop-as-yield laws on bicyclist safety, crashes, and behavior.

A Right to the Road: Understanding and Addressing Bicyclist Safety
Governors Highway Safety Association
Analyzes national data to understand fatal bicyclist-motor vehicle crash characteristics, including passing maneuvers.

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Examples

Model Safe Passing Law
League of American Bicyclists
Provides example text and language for explaining safe passing laws.

Chattanooga, TN, Enforces Passing Law
Chattanooga Times Free Press
Summarizes enforcement efforts using ultrasound technology to measure passing distance between motorists and bicyclists.

Pedestrian Safety Enforcement DVDs
Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC)
Pedestrian and bicycle safety enforcement DVDs used in Wisconsin to educate and train local traffic officers, drivers education students, and members of the general public.

Missoula Pedestrian Safety Campaign
Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC)
Missoula combines radio and television announcements with targeted enforcement to increase yielding rates of drivers for pedestrians in crosswalks.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Campaign
Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC)
Burlington uses an annual pedestrian safety campaign, including education, enforcement, and engineering measures, to institutionalize pedestrian and bicycle safety in the community.

More Examples >