3 foot bike rule

In response to the recent death of a cyclist due to a truck dangerously passing, there is legislation in the works in California to require vehicles to be a safe distance to the left of a bicycle before passing. Believe it or not there are actually people against this law and think anything short of hitting a cyclist should not be against the law. There was a recent letter to the editor in our local paper that stated it pretty much exactly as so. Below is my letter to the editor in response that was published in the April 5, 2006 issue of the Santa Barbara Newspress:

This is a response to a March 30 letter headlined "Put Brakes on Nava's Bicycle Bill". The letter speaks against the proposed law making it illegal for an automobile driver to dangerously pass a cyclist. He claims to be a cyclist and goes on to state that anything less than contact should not be punishable. My bicycle is my primary means of transportation and I ride all over Santa Barbara and Goleta. The only thing protecting me from injury is often a painted line and the law. The recent tragic death of local cyclist Kendra Payne was due to a dangerous passing situation, but there are numerous close calls every day. None are punished as far as I am aware.

One of the best ways to prevent accidents is to punish risking behavior. The intent is to curtail the behavior by punishing it. Speeding tickets are not only written to generate revenue, but to punish a dangerous behavior that can lead to accidents. Similarly, weaving drunk drivers are punished for driving drunk even if they don't cause an accident. Why is it such a stretch for someone to understand that a person protected by belts and airbags enclosed in a 3,000 pound steel object nearly killing a cyclist should also be punished?

If the writer extended his thinking he would soon conclude that a Terrorist who plants on bomb on an airplane with the intent of killing everyone is only guilty if the bomb explodes.

Pedro Nava should be commended for his vision and commitment to bettering the lives of the people he serves.