BY THE EDITORIAL PAGE STAFF OF THE FREE LANCE-STAR
INCLUDED in a raft of new laws passed by the General Assembly that go into effect this Thursday are two intended to increase bicycle safety in the commonwealth. The Virginia Bicycling Federation endorsed them, and weâll take their word for it that similar laws in other states have reduced cycling fatalities.
Hopefully, theyâll do the same in Virginia. But there are some lingering concerns.
One of the new laws, the 2021 Bicyclist Safety Act, requires drivers to change lanes to pass a cyclist if the lane theyâre in does not allow them to maintain a three-foot distance from the cyclist, even if that means crossing double yellow center lines.