On Thursday, May 20, Consider Biking’s Executive Director Jeff Stephens testified in support of Senate Bill 174 before the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee chaired by Senator Tom Patton. SB 174, also known as The Safer Passing Bill, is sponsored by State Senator Teresa Fedor (D) of Toledo. In the State Senate, SB 174 has seventeen bipartisan cosponsors. This was the second hearing on the bill.

Representative Jeff Wagner (R) of the 81st House District in northwest Ohio is the sponsor of The Safer Passing Bill in the House.

SB 174 amends section 4511.27 of the Ohio Revised Code to establish a safe passing distance between a motor vehicle and a bicycle. SB 174 states that, “When a motor vehicle overtakes a bicycle, the safe passing distance shall be not less than three feet.” The bill also strikes antiquated language calling for the passing vehicle to provide an “audible signal” to any vehicle being passed.

In his testimony, Jeff noted that all forms of bicycling, from commuting to touring, are growing and will continue to grow rapidly in Ohio. He pointed out that fifteen other states have enacted similar safer passing legislation. He provided statistics which demonstrate that the bicyclist is safest when operating on the road as a vehicle as defined in the Ohio Revised Code Section 4511.01. Finally, Jeff provided statistics showing the growing economic importance of bicycling, bringing tourist dollars into Ohio and creating jobs in Ohio communities.

Jeff coordinated his testimony well with testimony presented by the Ohio Bicycle Federation and other citizens. One citizen provided moving testimony describing the impact that the death of a bicyclist struck by a car has on family and friends. Two middle-school aged kids, trained in bicycle safety by Consider Biking, attended the hearing and gave written testimony in support of SB 174.

Senator Tom Patton provided a fair second hearing. Senator Teresa Fedor eloquently supported the bill as did Senator Nina Turner. As he did in the first hearing, Senator Gary Cates stated his strong opposition to the bill. Senator Fedor hopes that the Senate Highways and Transportation Committee will vote on SB 174 in the next few weeks. After that, it will go before the full Senate.