FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Bicyclists in the Commonwealth are one step closer to a mandatory three feet of space when motorists pass them on the road.
The Kentucky State House of Representatives Friday passed House Bill 33, which requires drivers leave at least three feet when overtaking slower vehicles like bicycles. The measure passed 73-3.
As WCPO previously reported, this was the legislature's second attempt to pass a three-foot law. In 2016, the State Senate passed a similar measure, Senate Bill 80, but that bill never made it out of the House Transportation Committee.
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State Rep. Jerry Miller, R-Louisville, was the bill's primary sponsor. He told WCPO earlier this month that he was confident the bill would pass the transportation committee this time around.
"I think the (Kentucky Transportation Cabinet) realizes that we're one of eight states not having established a safe distance," he said.
The KYTC recommends a "safe distance" as three feet, but that is not written anywhere into law.
The Ohio General Assembly passed House Bill 154 in December 2016. That law went into effect in March 2017.
HB 33 now goes to the Senate Transportation Committee for consideration.
Pat LaFleur reports on transportation and mobility for WCPO. Connect with him on Twitter (@pat_laFleur) and on Facebook.
