Dear Editor: Just another morning commute. This morning on my way to work I was, once again, passed too closely. I wish I was joking when I say that the van was a mere one to two inches from the left edge of my handlebars.
Passing too closely happens pretty regularly along my commute from the North Shore to Downtown and back again. I don't usually speak up - I don't usually get the chance even if wanted to. But I did today. And it wasn't the first time I've heard (or read) the "how else am I supposed to get by you" excuse.
Unfortunately, our MLAs, mayors and councils still haven't addressed the lack of safe passing distance laws in B.C. Until they do, some education about road safety is needed. Drivers, please leave a safe distance when passing cyclists. Many jurisdictions have enacted safe passing distance laws specifically for drivers passing cyclists. Some actually specify the distance, and of those that do, the minimum is about three feet (for example, Nova Scotia requires one metre). Take a tape measure and look at how wide three feet is. Even if you don't leave a full three feet, at no speed is it safe to leave less than two inches of space between your vehicle and a cyclist. The fact of not actually hitting the cyclist does not mean you left enough room! So how else are you supposed to get by that pesky cyclist who's sharing your road? If you can't pass safely that does not mean you should pass unsafely. It means you shouldn't pass. Slow down, leave a safe following distance and wait until you can pass safely. That's how else you're suppose to get by - and it won't kill you.
Natasha Reid
North Vancouver
