Comments on: The 3-foot buffer law – will it hold up in court? http://www.commutebybike.com/2008/03/08/the-3-foot-buffer-law-will-it-hold-up-in-court/ Tips, Hints, Reviews and Safety for Bike Commuters Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:00:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Noah http://www.commutebybike.com/2008/03/08/the-3-foot-buffer-law-will-it-hold-up-in-court/comment-page-1/#comment-78115 Noah Wed, 12 Mar 2008 05:25:43 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2008/03/08/the-3-foot-buffer-law-will-it-hold-up-in-court/#comment-78115 Kansas has a four-foot law. Dozens of times daily, this law is broken as motorists pass me. Only once have I seen someone get pulled over for buzzing me. And the fact that it's happened once in less than 2 years of commuting strikes awe from fellow cyclists. They have never seen someone get pulled over for being a jackass to cyclists. Kansas has a four-foot law. Dozens of times daily, this law is broken as motorists pass me. Only once have I seen someone get pulled over for buzzing me. And the fact that it’s happened once in less than 2 years of commuting strikes awe from fellow cyclists. They have never seen someone get pulled over for being a jackass to cyclists.

]]> By: Practical Cyclist http://www.commutebybike.com/2008/03/08/the-3-foot-buffer-law-will-it-hold-up-in-court/comment-page-1/#comment-78084 Practical Cyclist Tue, 11 Mar 2008 16:28:44 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2008/03/08/the-3-foot-buffer-law-will-it-hold-up-in-court/#comment-78084 Most of my commute is in the state of Utah. I doubt that more than a handful of the seatbelted set in this state even knows we have a three foot buffer law. Most of them just honk when I take a lane on roads that are simply not wide enough for a buffer, a bike, and an SUV. I hope that when taken to a jury of their peers, the dangerous pranksters in this incident will be made enough of an example of that the offense will not be repeated by them nor copied by others. I don't know what the penalty might be but I seriously doubt that it is very severe, I doubt there would have even been much of a consequence had the startled cyclist fallen and met his death beneath the offender's truck. In fact, it would probably set those in government to whispering off camera, "Maybe NOW they'll stay off the road." Most of my commute is in the state of Utah. I doubt that more than a handful of the seatbelted set in this state even knows we have a three foot buffer law. Most of them just honk when I take a lane on roads that are simply not wide enough for a buffer, a bike, and an SUV. I hope that when taken to a jury of their peers, the dangerous pranksters in this incident will be made enough of an example of that the offense will not be repeated by them nor copied by others. I don’t know what the penalty might be but I seriously doubt that it is very severe, I doubt there would have even been much of a consequence had the startled cyclist fallen and met his death beneath the offender’s truck. In fact, it would probably set those in government to whispering off camera, “Maybe NOW they’ll stay off the road.”

]]> By: Farmer de Ville http://www.commutebybike.com/2008/03/08/the-3-foot-buffer-law-will-it-hold-up-in-court/comment-page-1/#comment-77929 Farmer de Ville Mon, 10 Mar 2008 01:51:26 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2008/03/08/the-3-foot-buffer-law-will-it-hold-up-in-court/#comment-77929 One would love to see the moron prosecuted, but how does someone really prove that it happened to the degree necessary to convict. Did the bicyclist collect witnesses? Hard to enforce because it is hard to prove it happened without some sort of backup of evidence. Good luck though... - Farmer One would love to see the moron prosecuted, but how does someone really prove that it happened to the degree necessary to convict. Did the bicyclist collect witnesses?

Hard to enforce because it is hard to prove it happened without some sort of backup of evidence.

Good luck though…

- Farmer

]]> By: curlyhairgirl http://www.commutebybike.com/2008/03/08/the-3-foot-buffer-law-will-it-hold-up-in-court/comment-page-1/#comment-77899 curlyhairgirl Sun, 09 Mar 2008 23:42:47 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2008/03/08/the-3-foot-buffer-law-will-it-hold-up-in-court/#comment-77899 Ghost Rider....I love your yardstick pics.....too bad it got destroyed. Ghost Rider….I love your yardstick pics…..too bad it got destroyed.

]]> By: anabananasplit http://www.commutebybike.com/2008/03/08/the-3-foot-buffer-law-will-it-hold-up-in-court/comment-page-1/#comment-77887 anabananasplit Sun, 09 Mar 2008 20:32:46 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2008/03/08/the-3-foot-buffer-law-will-it-hold-up-in-court/#comment-77887 I thought such a stupid thing had only <a href="http://azulebanana.com/anabananasplit/2007/05/08/biking-days-along-with-a-biking-incident-with-a-complete-asshole-kid/" rel="nofollow">happened to me</a> (sorry, only in portuguese). Guess there's jerks all over the world. ;-) I sure hope the bastard gats an exemplary punishment. I thought such a stupid thing had only happened to me (sorry, only in portuguese). Guess there’s jerks all over the world. ;-) I sure hope the bastard gats an exemplary punishment.

]]> By: Suzy http://www.commutebybike.com/2008/03/08/the-3-foot-buffer-law-will-it-hold-up-in-court/comment-page-1/#comment-77867 Suzy Sun, 09 Mar 2008 17:11:29 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2008/03/08/the-3-foot-buffer-law-will-it-hold-up-in-court/#comment-77867 @Ghost: If you re-do your yardstick, you could make it hinged so you can lift it up when necessary. Great idea though! @Ghost: If you re-do your yardstick, you could make it hinged so you can lift it up when necessary. Great idea though!

]]> By: Ghost Rider http://www.commutebybike.com/2008/03/08/the-3-foot-buffer-law-will-it-hold-up-in-court/comment-page-1/#comment-77850 Ghost Rider Sun, 09 Mar 2008 13:32:07 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2008/03/08/the-3-foot-buffer-law-will-it-hold-up-in-court/#comment-77850 Donald, as far as reactions, I got a lot of laughs and "great idea!" comments from my fellow cyclists in the area, but the best was the motorist reaction -- when confronted with a pointed, bright orange object, they would sometimes veer all the way over into the other lane! I was getting 6 or 8 feet of passing room in a lot of instances! Alas, this experiment was short-lived...I misjudged the size of a gap between parked cars and my yardstick was destroyed. Donald, as far as reactions, I got a lot of laughs and “great idea!” comments from my fellow cyclists in the area, but the best was the motorist reaction — when confronted with a pointed, bright orange object, they would sometimes veer all the way over into the other lane! I was getting 6 or 8 feet of passing room in a lot of instances!

Alas, this experiment was short-lived…I misjudged the size of a gap between parked cars and my yardstick was destroyed.

]]> By: Mike Myers http://www.commutebybike.com/2008/03/08/the-3-foot-buffer-law-will-it-hold-up-in-court/comment-page-1/#comment-77846 Mike Myers Sun, 09 Mar 2008 12:09:29 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2008/03/08/the-3-foot-buffer-law-will-it-hold-up-in-court/#comment-77846 Like GR, I live in Florida. I was hit by a truck last year. Obviously the driver violated the 3 foot rule, right? He was charged with "Improper pass". The trooper mentioned the 3 foot rule to me, but I don't know if there's an actual citation. I like the yardstick. I have a Flash Flag on one bike, and it seems to give me a buffer, but I've thought about mounting something 3 feet long. Preferably with a roofing nail attached to the end. Like GR, I live in Florida. I was hit by a truck last year. Obviously the driver violated the 3 foot rule, right? He was charged with “Improper pass”. The trooper mentioned the 3 foot rule to me, but I don’t know if there’s an actual citation.

I like the yardstick. I have a Flash Flag on one bike, and it seems to give me a buffer, but I’ve thought about mounting something 3 feet long. Preferably with a roofing nail attached to the end.

]]> By: Donald http://www.commutebybike.com/2008/03/08/the-3-foot-buffer-law-will-it-hold-up-in-court/comment-page-1/#comment-77784 Donald Sun, 09 Mar 2008 03:27:53 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2008/03/08/the-3-foot-buffer-law-will-it-hold-up-in-court/#comment-77784 @Ghost That's awesome. I considered doing something similar on my bike to make a point... did you get any reactions/feedback from motorists, or anyone for that matter? @Ghost
That’s awesome. I considered doing something similar on my bike to make a point… did you get any reactions/feedback from motorists, or anyone for that matter?

]]> By: Ghost Rider http://www.commutebybike.com/2008/03/08/the-3-foot-buffer-law-will-it-hold-up-in-court/comment-page-1/#comment-77777 Ghost Rider Sun, 09 Mar 2008 00:55:16 +0000 http://commutebybike.com/2008/03/08/the-3-foot-buffer-law-will-it-hold-up-in-court/#comment-77777 I mounted a yardstick as a joke to the back of my bike when Florida passed the three-foot rule here. It is really not that much room, but the photographs make it look like a generous space. The joke yardstick I mounted is two-sided...friendly and mean: Friendly side: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1364/1433759144_88165dc931_o.jpg Mean side: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1010/1433759582_4ed3ebcd2d_o.jpg I mounted a yardstick as a joke to the back of my bike when Florida passed the three-foot rule here. It is really not that much room, but the photographs make it look like a generous space.

The joke yardstick I mounted is two-sided…friendly and mean:

Friendly side: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1364/1433759144_88165dc931_o.jpg

Mean side: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1010/1433759582_4ed3ebcd2d_o.jpg

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