The Florida CS/SB 950 – Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety bill was approved unanimously by the Florida house and senate, signed by the Governor and became effective July 1, 2021. The Florida Bicycle Association, who had been working diligently on the “Move Over for People” initiative, sent the following recap of the new law:
Florida CS/SB 950 law changes certain elements of the Florida statutes. These changes include:
- Providing that no-passing zones do not apply to motorists who safely and briefly drive to the left of center of the roadway to overtake a bicycle, provided that such a passing continues to give the cyclist the necessary three feet passing clearance. If a motorist cannot safely pass at a distance of 3 feet or more, the law clearly states they must wait until a safe moment to pass.
- Requiring a vehicle making a right turn while overtaking and/or passing a cyclist to do so only if the cyclist is at least 20 feet from the intersection and at a distance that the driver of the vehicle may safely turn.
- Authorizing cyclists riding in groups, after coming to a full stop, to go through an intersection in groups of 10 or fewer. Motorists are now required to let one such group pass before proceeding.
- Providing guidelines for riding a bicycle in a substandard width lane and authorizing cyclists to ride two abreast to avoid dangerous conditions.
- Requires at least 25 questions in the test bank for the driver license test to address bicycle and pedestrian safety.
A thorough examination of the changes can be found on our FBA ClubExpress membership website / Documents Library / Legislative Platform / 2021 Legislative Outcomes.Document Library
Please consider sending a quick/brief thank you to the bill sponsors, co-sponsors and Governor DeSantis (and use Thank you as the subject line). Sample language can be found on the FBA WEBSITE.
CS/HB 605
Representative Christine Hunscofsky / Sponsor
Representative Anna Eskamani / Co-sponsor
Representative Emily Slosberg / Co-sponsor
Representative Cyndi Stevenson / Co-sponsor
Representative Jackie Toledo / Co-sponsor
Representative Marie Paule Woodson / Co-sponsor
CS/SB 950
Senator Lauren Book / Sponsor
The Florida Bicycle Association will continue its efforts to improve conditions for cyclists. Have an idea? Please send an email to [email protected].
