3-Foot Passing and Dead Red Bill to To Be Voted on in Kansas Senate

Reprint from http://www.kansascyclist.com

The revived 3-Foot Passing bill, as well as the “Dead Red” bill, have been combined in the Senate Transportation Committee, and now face a vote on the floor of the Kansas Senate.

The legislation, Kansas House Bill HB2192, originally dealt with seat belt regulations, but was modified by the Senate Transportation Committee, which dropped the seat belt provisions, and added the contents of House Bill 2058 (HB2058), “Establishing conditions when motorcylists may proceed through red traffic signals” (i.e. the Dead Red bill) and House Bill 2174 (HB2174), “Duty of motorists to maintain 3 foot distance when passing bicyclists”.

Bicyclists attended the Senate Transportation Committee on March 12th in support of the amendment (as related by the Kaw Valley Bicycle Club:

Kaw Valley Bicycle Club lobbyist Bill Lucero testified in favor of amending HB 2192 with HB 2174 (the 3 foot clearance motorists must provide when passing a bicycle). Lucero introduced Michelle Roberts, daughter of former cyclist Tim Roberts who was struck by a car and killed last Sept. 12 outside Topeka. Lucero also endorsed the “dead red” provision in HB 2192. Alan Apel of KVBC then spoke in favor of amending the bill with the 3′ provision. (Please see PDF of testimony). No one opposed the amendment process.

You can read the full text of the resulting bill here.

Here is a message from KanBikeWalk:

The original 3’ passing clearance of bicyclists’ bill and the ‘dead red’ bill were both rolled into HB 2192, the seatbelt safety bill, and approved by the KS Senate Transportation Committee today, March 15. HB 2192 now goes to the Senate floor for a recorded vote. It is NOW time to contact your State Senator to ask their support for this bill making bicycling safer in Kansas.

Again, be very clear you want them to vote for HB 2192 and why. The why can be as simple as to make roads safer for bicyclists, motorcyclists and motorists or you can further explain your support for safer roads in Kansas by codifying the recommendations in the Driving Manual’s for motorists to safely pass bicyclists and discouraging dangerous driving practices and to remedy inconsistent enforcement regarding non-responsive traffic signals and clarifying the expected response of bicyclists and motorcyclists.

How you contact your Senator is not as important as making sure you do. This is your opportunity to make a statement for your safety and the safety of those you bicycle with. This will take you less than 5 minutes, but the effort may make bicycling in Kansas safer for years to come.

Here is the sample letter provided:

Dear Senator ____________

The Senate Transportation Committee has wisely approved HB 2192, which further defines seatbelt regulations, codifies the Driving Manual’s recommendations regarding the minimum passing clearance of bicyclists by motorists and clarifies the procedures for bicyclist’s and motorcyclist’s proper reaction when encountering a non-responsive traffic signal for law enforcement and roadway users alike.

As your constituent and a Kansas bicyclist, I respectfully ask you to vote YES on HB 2192 when it comes to a vote on the Senate floor. This bill will greatly improve the safety of bicyclists across the entire state, making it safer for my family and I to bicycle to work, around _ _ (insert your city/county name) _________ and around the State of Kansas.

Sincerely,
First & Last Name
Your Address
Your City, Kansas Your Zip Code

Just copy and paste the text above, substituting the Senator’s name, as well as your name and address.

You can find your Senator’s email address and phone number from the Senate Roster.

If you’re not sure who your senator is, you can use the Find Your Legislator tool.

Your communication carries the most weight with your own senator, but feel free to contact senators from other districts where you may be employed, do business, have family, travel, or ride. Every message does make a difference.

According to Kaw Valley Bicycle Club president Heath Glenn:

The next step will be a recorded vote in the Senate transportation committee and once approved will go to the Senate floor. We look for this to occur fairly quickly.

If the bill is approved by the Senate, it will go back to the House for consideration.