BIKE: passing FYI

[Thorne]

tv.ksl.com/index.php?nid=39&sid=211433 
Video helix.ksl.com/video/ksl/3/305/30532.ram 

Police on the Lookout For Motorist Who Won't Give Cyclists Room
Jun. 10, 2005

State and local police want cyclists and motorists, to share the road ... with
fewer dangerous run- ins.

Utah ranks 11th among the states in deaths on bicycles.

And as Jed Boal tells us.. officers are pumping the pedals, looking for law-
breakers.

Each year in Utah, 900 cyclists are badly hurt and six are killed in crashes
with cars.

So the Utah Departments of Health, Transportation and Public Safety have
teamed up with local police to put the brakes on dangerous drivers...and
cyclists.

This Taylorsville Police Officer is riding as a decoy...ready to report
dangerous driving to his partner.

When a car comes too close or cuts him off...his partner moves in with
education in mind.

For example, you may not know this new Utah law...

A motorist must give a bicyclist a minimum of three feet of clearance when
passing...whether the cyclist is in a traffic lane or in a bike lane.

It's not about writing a lot of tickets..it's about public education.

Officer Chris Gebhardt/Taylorsville Police Department: "IF WE DO NOTICE AN
OFFENSE THAT IS SO EGREGIOUS WHERE THEY ALMOST HIT THE DECOY OFFICER, OR
CREATE AN ACCIDENT OR DANGEROUS SITUATION, WE WILL WRITE A CITATION. MOSTLY
IT'S ABOUT STOPPING THE INDIVIDUAL, TALKING WITH THEM ABOUT INFORMING THEM
WHAT THE STATE LAWS ARE."

But, bicyclists are just as often the ones at fault.

Bicyclists have a right to the road,

Several departments in the valley have teamed up with the state...you can
expect to see these patrols through end of July.

For more information look for the link on our website.