FROM BIKE WALK MISSISSIPPI:
CALL TO ACTION!
John Paul Frerer Bicycle Safety Act
We now have official bill numbers for the our Safe Cycling 2010 Bill which has been named in honor of a young man, John Paul Frerer, who lost his life in a collision in August of 2009. John Paul, from Tupelo, inspired many of us to continue working to educate and encourage others to increase safety on the road for all.
John Paul Frerer Bicycle Safety Act: Senate Bill: SB3014 House Bill: HB1452
This legislation will provide additional measures to increase safety on the road. You can read the full text of each bill by clicking the bill name above. Two critical pieces this year are implementing 3 Feet and Anti-Harassment language to protect bicyclists.
Mississippi’s cycling and running community sincerely thanks Senators Tom King andBilly Hewes and Representatives Kevin McGee , Toby Barker, David Norquist, Cecil Brown, Brandon Jones and Warner McBride for their dedicated leadership and professional interest in improving cycling and running safety in our state.
How can you help?
1. Contact your State Representative AND Senator. Ask them to support or sponsor the bill (Representatives=HB1452; Senators=SB3014).
Need to locate your legislator, click here: http://www.growthevote.org/lookup.asp?g=AFPA
Within the link above, click on “More Information” to locate the address, email, fax and phone numbers for your legislators. Urge for their support by asking them to please cosponsor the John Paul Frerer Bicycle Safety Act and support your Mississippi cycling, running, and walking community to save lives, improve safety, awareness, and education, and prevent accidents
2. Sign the petition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/jpfbicyclesafety/
3. Contribute to our advocacy efforts for Bicycle Safety Legislation.
The 3-feet law has been enacted in 15 states:
SOUTHERN STATES: Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Tennessee
OTHER STATES: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Utah, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia
Main purpose – EDUCATE motorists about safely passing cyclists and pedestrians.
Provides law enforcement, MDOT, and cycling clubs the opportunity to inform motorists about the need for a safe passing distance that can be easily remembered.
Motorists may not be aware of the danger of passing too closely. Clearly defines “due care/safe distance” as three feet.
No requirement for distance-measuring equipment.
Use of numeric distances to educate the public is not uncommon in our traffic laws: Section 63-3-611, MS Code of 1972: When approaching within one hundred (100) feet of or traversing any marked or readily distinguishable intersection or railroad grade crossing…
MAKING MISSISSIPPI’S ROADS SAFE FOR ALL!
Improve Safety, Education and Awareness, Prevent Accidents
Save Lives
www.mississippi3feet.org
3 Feet ordinances have been passed in Tupelo, Oxford and Lafayette County – with several others gearing up to implement as well. The grass roots iniatives show our legislators how important these measures are to the communities and push towards a statewide implementation. Once passed, we can focus on educating motorists and cyclists on new legislation and encouraging more to ride throughout the state.
Contribute to our advocacy efforts for Bicycle Safety Legislation.
Do you have your Share the Road Tag?
More cars on the road are being spotted with these tags – is yours?
Help make 2010 even better, join or renew your membership with BWM!
Bike Walk Mississippi
9 Industrial Park Drive, Suite 108, Oxford, MS, 38655
bikewalk@bikewalkmississippi.org
www.bikewalkmississippi.org
