Last summer, like many others feeling the pinch of high gas prices, I committed to riding my bicycle more: to work, to meetings, and for errands around town. A long time recreational rider, I didn’t need to be sold on the benefits of cycling as a way to shrink one’s footprint on the planet, but in the end, conserving gas and shedding a few pounds were the top motivators for my summer of multiple commutes to work each week on my trusty steel road bike that I’d had since college days.
As a legislator, it goes without saying I’m a strict adherent to the laws that govern our society, and traffic laws are certainly where the “rubber meets the road.” However, riding safely while abiding by the letter of the law is a conundrum that faces any conscientious cyclist. For example: what self-respecting cyclist actually signals a right turn by extending their left arm to their side and bending their elbow to the sky? This relic of automobile manual signaling (remember your driver’s test?) simply has little applicability to cyclists, who know that clearly communicating intentions to the automobile drivers around them can mean the difference between life and death.
Assembly Bill 247 takes this issue head on. It’s time we modernize Nevada Revised Statutes so that the law aligns with actual safety practice. Here’s what the bill does:
- Allows a cyclist to indicate a turn with a single hand signal or with his position in the turn lane instead of continuously signaling for 100 or 300 feet as is now required (have you ever tried to brake and signal a turn at the same time and avoid crashing?)
- Adds the option of signaling a right turn by extending the right arm for bicyclists. Only a left-handed right turn signal is currently legal in Nevada.
- Voids dangerous laws that require use of side paths instead of nearby roads. Such laws unnecessarily force cyclists onto often poorly maintained stretches of pavement with poor visibility and other hazards (be aware an amendment will be presented to clarify this component.)
If you’re a cyclist who supports the improvement of traffic laws to make cycling safer, please attend the bill’s hearing this Thursday, March 12th, 1:30 pm, before the Assembly Transportation Committee, Room 3143 of the Legislative Building, 401 S. Carson St., Carson City.
For more information about the bill and how you can support it, please contact Terry McAfee, President, Nevada Bicycle Coalition (tmcafee “at” gmail “dot” com). Terry was instrumental in crafting the concepts for the bill and will be presenting the bill with me at the hearing.
When the law is misaligned with societal norms, the law itself suffers. It is my hope that with the passage of AB247, more cyclists will take the law seriously, making our roads safer for cyclists and motorists alike. With the increased use of bicycles as a transportation option that is healthy and sustainable, now is the time to make this happen.
I am going to try to get to this meeting as it is very important to cyclists! Thank you for your efforts in getting this legislation passed.
Thanks David! I’ll be there, and it’s spectacular that you’re not only helping to get this friendly form of transportation a little more attention, but that you’re doing such an effective job of spreading the word to the community as well. This is a first step needed to integrate cycling as an eco-friendly, cost-effective and healthy form of transportation, and to help people do it safely and responsibly. Thanks again!
The Reno City Council just took a position in favor of AB247!!
dave aiazzi
Dave, that’s great news! Thank you for the update and I appreciate the partnership with the City of Reno on this important issue.
This is a good step in the right direction. It’s great to see one of just a few representatives who is pushing for more effective alternative transportation. Thanks!
It was a long meeting but an important one. Some people have told me that it isn’t important to change the law because,
“who signals anyway…” But the better we craft our traffic laws to incorporate and facilitate safe cycling, the sooner we can see a change to more cyclists on safer streets, with cleaner air for all. Thanks again!
I’m not so sure about signaling a right turn with the right hand. If I’m in the right lane and cars are behind me I’m near the gutter and the driver is near the left side of the lane. My right arm is not going to be as visible to the driver as my left and so it makes more sense to signal with the left. Sure the laws could be a little more flexible, but I don’t see a scenario where signaling with the right would be better for me as a cyclist.
I know I’m late to the game on this, but that’s my opinion. Thanks David!
-M