PG: Review Finds New Bike Safety Law Not Being Closely Enforced

A year later, Pittsburgh police are yet to issue first ticket

By Jon Schmitz / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Police across Pennsylvania have been slow to enforce a year-old law requiring motorists to give bicycles a four-foot buffer when passing them.

Only 15 citations for passing too closely were issued in the entire state in the first 13 months after the law took effect. Only two were issued in Allegheny County and none in the city of Pittsburgh, according to data provided by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.

“I’m pretty dismayed there hasn’t been a single ticket issued in Pittsburgh under this statute,” said Scott Bricker, executive director of Bike Pittsburgh, an advocacy group. “We’re going to work on this.”

Some bicyclists said the law has had a beneficial impact despite the dearth of citations, that drivers are being more careful around them. Others, however, contended that nothing has changed.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/review-finds-new-bike-safety-law-not-being-closely-enforced-688939/#ixzz2UD8nbIc0

Leave a Reply