New Colorado law to improve safety on roads for bicyclists

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – A brand new Colorado regulation is aiming to enhance security on the roads for bicyclists.

11 Information spoke with Bicycle Colorado, a Denver non-profit, in regards to the new Colorado Security Cease, which permits bicyclists and customers of “low velocity conveyances” to deal with cease indicators as yield indicators and cease lights as cease indicators once they have already got the fitting of approach.

“Intersections are by far probably the most harmful locations for bicyclists,” mentioned Jack Todd of Bicycle Colorado. “We now have really been engaged on this for a number of years and this 12 months we had been capable of get it handed as a result of lawmakers agreed that they needed to resolve this security situation.”

In keeping with CDOT knowledge from 2017-2019, 72.2% of reported crashes between bicyclists and drivers came about at intersections or had been “intersection associated.”

“Biking shouldn’t be solely a wholesome, protected strategy to get locations, it helps scale back site visitors on our roads and scale back air pollution,” mentioned Colorado Governor Jared Polis on the invoice signing ceremony.

In keeping with Bicycle Colorado, further particulars of the regulation embody:

• Youthful bicyclists might carry out the maneuver if an grownup is current.
• Bicyclists can yield after which proceed via cease sign-controlled intersections at as much as 10 miles per hour.
• Intersections the place bicyclist-specific lights or indicators are current that prohibit the maneuver are exempt from the brand new regulation.
• The invoice defines “low velocity conveyances” in Colorado regulation. These are small profile, low-speed autos that individuals use for transportation and recreation, together with bicycles and electrical bicycles, electrical scooters (not together with mopeds), and wheelchairs.

Bicycle Colorado says the state had a “bike growth” through the pandemic.

“Originally of covid, individuals had been searching for protected, wholesome methods to get out of their home. So, lots of people rediscovered their bikes. Possibly they’d one thing mendacity of their storage or they simply noticed different individuals doing it and needed to get out and do it themselves,” mentioned Todd.

The regulation went into impact mid-April. Colorado is the ninth state to undertake it.

“The most important factor is simply slowing down and being observant. All people deserves to get the place they’re going safely and we may all stand to be somewhat extra affected person on our roads,” mentioned Todd.

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