New Virginia Bike Law Reaches One-Year Anniversary: Has it Made a Difference?

On July 1, 2014, Virginia implemented a new law stating vehicles must give cyclists three feet of space as they pass on roadways, a change from the previous standard of two feet.

The new law also came with added enforcement, as the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported 12 drivers were ticketed for not giving cyclists enough space while passing in the last year, up from just two drivers the year prior. Of those 12 arrests, the Times-Dispatch also reported eight drivers were found guilty, while four were found not guilty of crowing cyclists on roadways.

Officers told the Times-Dispatch, however, that the new law can be difficult to enforce. If a cyclist is run off the road by a vehicle and can get its tags, the cyclist can report the vehicle to police, but this is highly uncommon. The other option is for an officer to spot a vehicle crowding a cyclist on the road, but as the officer told the Times-Dispatch, “everyone’s going to share the road when we’re around.”

This all begs the question: Has the new law actually made roadways safer for cyclists?

We want to know what the cyclists throughout the state think. Share your thoughts on the new law and whether or not it provides safety for cyclists in the comments section below!