A bill to improve the sharing of roads between motorists and bicyclists was introduced in the South Dakota legislature on Wednesday, Jan. 20.
The bill – SB70 – was read in the Senate and now sits on the docket of the Senate Transportation committee. It would “provide certain restrictions regarding the passing of a bicycle.”
By amending the Rules of the Road chapter (SDCL 32-36), the proposal would require a motorists, when passing a bicycle, to pass with a minimum of three feet of clearance.
As introduced, the bill reads reads as follows: “The driver of any motor vehicle overtaking a bicycle proceeding in the same direction shall pass the bicycle as required by § 32-26-26 and shall leave a safe distance, but in no case less than three feet clearance, when passing the bicycle. The driver of the motor vehicle shall maintain the clearance until safely past the overtaken bicycle. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor.”
The bill was introduced by Senators:
Sandy Jerstad (D) – Minnehaha, Lincoln
Tom Hansen (R) – Beadle, Hand, Jerauld
Gary Hanson (D) – Day, Marshall, Roberts
Pam Merchant (D) – Brookings
Kathy Miles (D) – Minnehaha
Ben Nesselhuf (D) – Clay, Turner
Jim Peterson (D) – Brookings, Deuel, Grant, Moody
Craig Tieszen (R) – Pennington
Nancy Turbak Berry (D) – Codington
Representatives:
Shantel Krebs (R) – Minnehaha, Lincoln
Elaine Elliott (D) – Brown, Spink
Richard Engels (D) – Minnehaha
Mitch Fargen (D) – Lake, Miner, Moody, Sanborn
Peggy Gibson (D) – Beadle, Hand, Jerauld
Noel Hamiel (R) – Aurora, Davison
Kristi Noem (R) – Beadle, Clark, Codington, Hamlin, Kingsbury
Eldon Nygaard (D) – Clay, Turner
Timothy Rave (R) – Hanson, McCook, Minnehaha
Manny Steele (R) – Lincoln, Minnehaha
