Delaware
Delaware – legislation passed in 2011 (2022 ranking: 9 – TOP 10!)
Summary: Delaware has a “3 foot” passing law which defines the safe passing distance as “at least three feet”. Delaware also requires vehicles to change lanes to pass a cyclist if there is a lane available traveling in the same direction. This is especially nice for high-speed 4-lane+ roads. When the extra lane does not exist, a driver must always provide at least three feet of clearance when passing a cyclist.
For details, search with the following keywords: “Delaware Code Title 21 4116.”
From FindLaw.com:
https://codes.findlaw.com/de/title-21-motor-vehicles/de-code-sect-21-4116.html
From Justia.com:
https://law.justia.com/codes/delaware/2022/title-21/chapter-41/subchapter-iii/section-4116/
The League of American Bicyclists - Bicycle Friendly State Report Card:
https://bikeleague.org/sites/default/files/BFS_Report_Card_2022_Delaware.pdf
Groups to check out:
- Bike Delaware: https://www.bikede.org/
District of Columbia
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Summary: Our Nation’s Capital has a “3 foot” passing law which defines the safe passing distance as “in no case less than three feet”. The law is pretty straight-forward – “A person driving a motor vehicle shall exercise due care by leaving a safe distance, but in no case less than 3 feet, when overtaking and passing a bicycle”.
For details, search with the following keywords: “District of Columbia 18-2202.10.”
Groups to check out:
- Washington Area Bicyclist Association: https://waba.org/
