[Action Alert] Safe Passing Bill in Iowa House

Today, there is a subcommittee meeting at 9 AM on HF 244, a five foot passing bill.  We have been working on better language and need your help to contact legislators ask them to amend the bill to read “change lanes to pass bicycles”.  Please send an email to Gary.Carlson@legis.iowa.gov, mary.wolfe@legis.iowa.gov,

maryann.hanusa@legis.iowa.gov.

The salutation is “Dear Rep. Carlson, Rep. Wolfe, and Rep. Hanusa,”

Let them know you are an Iowa Bicycle Coalition member and want to see increased bicycle safety.

Here are some points you can use in your letter.

• DOT has already changed drivers manual to reflect change lanes to pass a bicycle.
• Change Lanes to ​P​ass is easier to enforce, teach, and learn.
• Cars cannot legally split lanes, but often do at the peril of bicyclists.
• Clear statutory language for drivers education students to learn and others to follow.
• 38% of bicycle crashes with motor vehicles happened at non-intersections without any special features like driveways or alleys.
• Failure to yield is frequently cited as a cause of crashes.
• We believe clear statutory language on safe passing would help reduce the 118 bicycle/vehicle collisions that occurred in 2014.
• We believe when safe passing laws are taught in drivers education and have clear enforcement can save lives of people who ride bicycles.

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