Cyclists and pedestrians need a little more breathing room, City of North Vancouver council says, about 1.5 metres more.
Council passed a motion from Coun. Tony Valente calling on the province to enshrine in the Motor Vehicle Act a minimum one to 1.5-metres of space for drivers passing more vulnerable road users.
Currently, the law states that cyclists must “ride as near as practicable to the right side of the highway” but it is silent on what responsibilities the driver has when passing.
The city encourages people to get around on bikes, but close passes, which tend to happen on streets with no bike lanes, account for almost one-third of threatening encounters experienced by people on bikes, Valente noted in his motion.
“Research from the U.K. shows us that folks who pedal slower tend to be more closely passed, discouraging them from riding,” he said. “This will help us keep people safer with an objective indication of how far you need to stay away from folks to conclude a safe pass.”
Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland all have safe passing distance legislation as well.
Council’s vote was unanimous. However, getting the change into the rule books has to be done by the provincial government. Valente’s motion will now go to the Union of B.C. Municipalities where members will debate whether it should be on the list of reforms sought over the coming year.
