"Three feet is ridiculous," said Penelope Corcuera, bicyclist. "Three feet is not enough, it's not enough," said Dan Z, driver.
How much room is enough room when a car passes a bicycle on the road? The legislature is trying to get a specific distance put into law.
A bill requiring drivers to give at least three feet passed the house by a wide margin. FOX 47's Alani Letang talked with people who use both two wheels and four on Monday. When you actually measure that distance from a car, both bicyclists and drivers told Letang that's just not enough room. They tell Letang it's a start, but wonder if it's the right one
"It's a place to start, but why not start right. Why not do it right" said Corcuera. Dan added, "especially with the high velocity that a vehicle travels at, especially when you have some drivers that aren't paying attention, you also have some negligent bike riders too, so three feet is not enough but it's a start."
And for those possible "negligent bikers" Michigan State Trooper Jacob Fairchild thinks a bill setting a legal amount of room drivers need to leave will teach everyone on the road about sharing
"In the areas that I work in I haven't seen a lot of it, I know throughout the state it's a common occurrence. I think with this it's up to both bicyclist and the motorists to practice common courtesy when using the roadway," said Jacob Fairchild, MSP trooper.
Corcuera tries to ride her bike to work every day from South Lansing to West Lansing. She was excited when FOX 47 told her about the bill.
"This is important, I didn't even know about it, we are just trying to do something for our physical well being and we think this is a good way to start, but this is really good, I'm glad I found you," said Corcuera.
She said sharing the roadway is important., and not for just single bicyclists
Corcuera explains, "we are not the only people on a bike on the street, there are also families with kids."
State Trooper Fairchild told us that since the bill just passed police would be in more of an educational phase. They would use it as a teachable moment instead of writing tickets every time. That would change as people got more familiar with the law.
The Senate version of the bill actually makes the limit five feet instead of three.
We'll let you know if lawmakers can come to some sort of agreement and get a bill passed.
