3 FOOT RULE for vulnerable road users is the LAW (Houston: homes, live in)

[vegankris]

This is the LAW here in Houston. You MUST give all vulnerable road users 3 feet when passing them in your automobile. If you are a truck or commercial vehicle you MUST give them 6 feet. HPD is writing tickets when this law is violated.

Remember, this can mean the difference between life and death. Just pay attention and pass carefully. Seconds and minutes that you lose over waiting to pass a vulnerable road user is nothing compared to the life you will save.

[trekbiker]

As a cyclist, it's amazing how many drivers don't follow this law. While most drivers, I would say 90% are deferential and respectful of giving cyclists at least 3 feet of space and passing at a lower speed than what the speed zone allows, there are still far too many drivers (10%) that don't care to give me that space. These drivers pass me giving me mere inches to spare while going 10-20 above the speed limit.

Think about that. Inches. Inches from my death. And all it takes is one vehicle to put me away for good. One.

[War Beagle]

I'm sort of surprised this is a problem. Whenever I'm driving and see a cyclist, my experience has been that most people give cyclists a good quarter to half a lane (if traffic permits) of space. This is what I do if there is room.

[trekbiker]

It's been an ongoing problem, and we've had a rash of vehicle-cyclist accidents in the past month. Most notable incident is Chelsea Norman's hit-and-run near Waugh and Dallas, and she died. There were several other incidents in the month of December alone.

[deckhanddavy]

I live in an area where there are quite a few narrow back roads with high traffic that cyclists continue to ride through. It's becoming a trend as more homes are built in this area. Although I would never drive near a cyclist or not give that person adequate room when I pass them, I think it's just plain silly to ride a bike in such risky areas that were never designed for bike riding.

"The law gives cyclists the right to use the road, the same as a motorist, and requires other traffic slow down for you sometimes. A driver approaching from the rear is always required to slow and follow if it's not possible to pass safely.
It may seem dangerous to make a motorist slow for you, but it's not. The usual reason that bicyclists feel unsafe on narrow roads is that they do not take control of the situation when drivers behind them don’t have room to pass safely. If you ride all the way to the right, you’re inviting motorists to pass you when it is unsafe and, too often, they will. If you show clearly that it’s not safe for drivers to pass you, they’re unlikely to try." Source: http://www.bikexprt.com/streetsmarts/usa/chapter2a.htm

Despite this law, I don't agree with it. I think it's a bit antiquated in today's modern way of life. Riding on narrow roads that have high traffic is just too risky in my opinion and is not worth risking your life over. Such accidents can occur even if both parties are following the law. I don't think cyclists should be anywhere near narrow roads with no shoulder and high traffic...common sense should most cyclists away from such roads.

[Oildog]

Does this apply during Critical mass and other riding events?

I'm pro-cycling and wish Houston was more bike friendly, but I see too many cyclists ignoring the rules of the road. That's why I think a number of them get injured.

[txdemo]

The folks that don't give cyclists room on the roads are the same ones that speed, cut off other cars and never use a turn signal. Unfortunately you can't legislate being nice.

[Cbink]

Originally Posted by trekbiker

As a cyclist, it's amazing how many drivers don't follow this law. While most drivers, I would say 90% are deferential and respectful of giving cyclists at least 3 feet of space and passing at a lower speed than what the speed zone allows, there are still far too many drivers (10%) that don't care to give me that space. These drivers pass me giving me mere inches to spare while going 10-20 above the speed limit.

Think about that. Inches. Inches from my death. And all it takes is one vehicle to put me away for good. One.

To play devils advocate (I agree with you) there are also plenty of cyclists who make this impossible by weaving in and out of traffic or moving suddenly without signaling meaning even if there was a decent gap it gets massively reduced.

I'm completely for protecting cyclists. I would cycle here more if I felt it was safer than it is, but on the flip side the cyclists also need to abide by the rules. I nearly hit one last weekend who felt it was their right to run a stop sign (not the first incident of this kind either), fortunately I was paying attention and managed to stop (and nearly got hit in the process by another car coming across who hadn't seen the bike and wasn't expecting me to slam on my brakes halfway across the road...)

Drivers need to respect the cyclists and allow them space and the cyclists need to respect the rules of the road.

[War Beagle]

Hypothetical question: what responsibilities do cyclists have? While they have a legal right to use any road, are there some roads that are better left to vehicles? Just because you have a legal right to do something doesn't make it a good idea.

[texsn95]

Kind of like the idiot who rides down the righthand-southbound lane on Hwy 6 during AM rush hour. Basically forcing others into the next lane during heavy traffic.