In Montana, House Bill 267 defining a safe passing distance between cars and bicycles was recently voted down in a 24-26 vote. The controversy began when Montana Senate President, Scott Sales, lashed out at cyclists calling them “rude” and “self-centered.”
We believe these remarks from a Senator are uncalled for and unprofessional. Cyclists, like motorists, aren’t always perfect and it is something we work on daily at Bike Law to educate cyclists on their rights and responsibilities when they ride on the road. Cyclists on the road are also the most vulnerable road users and the difference between a simple fender bender between two cars, and a car and bike in a “fender bender” could result in death.
USA Cycling Advocates for Their Members
The president of USA Cycling, Derek Bouchard-Hall, wrote a public letter addressing Senator Sale’s concerns of “rude” cyclists, and who actually pays for roads. Derek did his homework on these issues and opened a door for Sales to discuss his worries.
We are all in this together – cyclists are drivers, and drivers are cyclists. We are a community dependent on one another. Please help us come together, respect one another, and safely share the public infrastructure which we all have the right to use.
We applaud Derek, and USA Cycling, for their advocacy efforts and stance on protecting their member’s rights.
Photo Credit: Onno Kluyt
