Tension Grows Between Drivers and Cyclists

A new law aimed at protecting cyclists on Colorado’s roads will require drivers to give cyclists at least three feet of space when passing.

The law, which goes into effect August 5th, 2009, will also allow cyclists to use more of the road and to ride two-abreast in most situations.

This law is good news for cyclists, but is unfortunately already causing increased tension between cyclists and drivers in some parts of the state. On the narrow canyon roads of Boulder County, for example, cyclists are reporting harassment by drivers, including drivers blaring horns at cyclists for miles and passing way too close for comfort. Drivers point the finger at cyclists, saying that they’re intentionally blocking traffic.

“They’re very upset, very frustrated,” Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said in this article in the Boulder Daily Camera of drivers and cyclists who use the scenic cycling routes. “Even the people who aren’t angry are frustrated.”

Pelle noted that while most cyclists ride to the right of the road and help maintain the flow of traffic, “sometimes you just get behind some jerks who are obviously making a statement about their right to ride in the middle of the road. Those cyclists are really hurting everybody.”

“Both groups have valid issues,” Pelle said. “If I could get anything across, it’s that a little courtesy and common sense would go a long way.”

How’s the cyclist vs. driver situation where you live? Have you ever experienced or seen a driver harassing a cyclist or a cyclist intentionally taking up too much of the road?