California
California – legislation passed in 2013 (2022 ranking: 4 – TOP 5!)
Summary: California has a “3 foot” passing law which defines the safe passing distance as “A driver shall not overtake or pass [a bicycle] at a distance less than three feet”. California adopted their law in 2013 and included what some have referred to as a “commonsense” provision in their legislation. It is possible to pass a bicycle with less than three feet of clearance in certain situations where it is “reasonable and prudent” and the driver may only pass if “doing so would not endanger the safety of the operator of the bicycle…”
For details, search with the following keywords: “California Vehicle Code 21760”.
More on California bicycle laws from CalBike:
https://www.calbike.org/go_for_a_ride/california_bicycle_laws/
From FindLaw.com:
https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/vehicle-code/veh-sect-21760.html
The League of American Bicyclists - Bicycle Friendly State Report Card:
https://bikeleague.org/sites/default/files/BFS_Report_Card_2022_California.pdf
Groups to check out:
- CalBike: https://www.calbike.org/
- CABO: https://cabobike.org/
Colorado
Colorado – legislation passed in 2009 (2022 ranking: 7 – TOP 10!)
Summary: Colorado has three statutes that address passing cyclists in traffic – passing oncoming vehicles; overtaking a vehicle on the left; and overtaking a vehicle on the right. Colorado also addresses how to measure the distance between a vehicle and a cyclist by defining the distance as “including all mirrors or other projections, and the [near] side of the bicyclist at all times.”
For details, search with the following keywords: “Colorado Title 42-4-1002”, “Colorado Title 42-4-1003”, and “Colorado Title 42-4-1004.”
From FindLaw.com:
https://codes.findlaw.com/co/title-42-vehicles-and-traffic/co-rev-st-sect-42-4-1004.html
From Justia.com:
https://law.justia.com/codes/colorado/2021/title-42/article-4/part-10/section-42-4-1004/
The League of American Bicyclists - Bicycle Friendly State Report Card:
https://bikeleague.org/sites/default/files/BFS_Report_Card_2022_Colorado.pdf
Groups to check out:
- Bicycle Colorado: https://www.bicyclecolorado.org/
