Since today's theme is cycling legislation, how about revising the following:
551.103. Operation on Roadway (a) (4) (A) less than 14 feet in width and does not have a designated bicycle lane adjacent to that lane; or
to
551.103. Operation on Roadway (a) (4) (A) less than 14 feet in width; or
I know it'd give PM Summer one less thing to post about, but I imagine he'd smile at the loss of a topic.
Better yet, considering ChipSeal's comment, just repeal the whole durn 551.103. That's even MORE KISS.
7 comments:
I would prefer this-
Sec. 551.103. OPERATION ON ROADWAY. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a person operating a bicycle on a roadway who is moving slower than the other traffic on the roadway shall ride as near as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway, unless:
To be changed to- An operator of a bicycle is subject to Sec. 545.051.b and will have the right to travel in the space a motor vehicle would occupy while complying with that statute. No other modifiers.
If the law were to be read this way, cyclists would have access to as much of the lane as any other vehicle. There would be no need for an ever lengthening and contingent exceptions.
And then 551.101 would not be the lie that it is.
That is the SMV law and how I interpret "practicable" in 551.103
If we're messing with 551.103, and in keeping with the title of the post, wouldn't it be simpler just to repeal 551.103 altogether? I see nothing in 551.103 that increases safety for cyclists (or motorists) beyond that contained in other statutes.
Here's what I would like to see: when a driver in Texas gets a ticket, he can go to a 6 hour traffic school to get the ticket dismissed. These people are the target market for education; they've self-selected as scofflaw drivers.
I propose that a portion of that 6 hours (maybe 1/2 to 1 hour) be used to educate drivers about traffic law as it pertains to cyclists.
I propose that cyclists who get tickets for breaking traffic law be given a 6 hour course tailored specifically to cycling in traffic, covering traffic law and vehicular cycling. By vigorously enforcing traffic laws on cyclists and then making them take training, ignorance of the law will no longer be an excuse and far more cyclists will behave in a far more uniform manner.
I further propose that public bus and school bus drivers be required to take training regarding what to expect from cyclists and how to avoid hitting them, cutting them off, etc. Maybe make this part of CDL training. There is an added risk with respect to buses because in urban settings, cyclists and buses often share the right lane or there is a bike lane and bus lane adjacent to each other.
Everyone seems to agree that education is the answer. These three groups represent the groups that, if properly educated, would result in the greatest reduction in accidents and deaths involving cyclists. This is the way to get the greatest bang for the buck, especially since the training is paid for by the people getting educated- people who have gotten tickets and people who want a CDL and/or want to drive a bus.
I think Doohickie's penalty for scofflaw cyclists might be a motivator for me to try to get a ticket. I've been trying to get into the BikeDFW Traffic 101 course for MONTHS now with no success. :-(
Other than motivating me to become an outlaw, Doohickie's suggestions appeal to me as a taxpayer and as a cyclist. I must say, however, I have never experienced anything other than the utmost courtesy from bus or other CDL operators. They may be big and clumsy, but as long as they see you and you're following the rules, they play nice.
I had a recent incident with a bus driver who almost hit me and he had to break the law to do it.
So.... yeah, bus drivers.
It's funny, though, the two closest calls I've had was when I was using sound VC techniques.
Steve,
You know I have tried to make myself available to you so we can do the course. Please e-mail me again and we'll try to set it up.
Done. Check email - you may have an overactive spam filter!
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