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2009-07-01 9:24 AM
Fort Worth, Texas
AUSTIN — A legislator's unsuccessful efforts to get a “safe passing” bill for cyclists said Wednesday that an accident involving her granddaughter has renewed her interest in the issue.
Rep. Linda Harper-Brown, R-Irving, sponsor of a bill to protect bicyclists, expressed relief Wednesday that her granddaughter and a friend suffered only minor injuries after getting hit by an SUV. Gov. Rick Perry recently vetoed legislation that Harper-Brown plans to push again next session to protect vulnerable road users.
“Now I can put a face to it,” Harper-Brown said about efforts to help raise awareness for the perils facing vulnerable road users. “It really does touch home now.”
Bethany Harper, 16, with three friends and her father, Timothy Harper, were cycling near Kaufman on Tuesday evening when a motorist turned into two of the cyclists, Harper-Brown said. The driver said she did not see them, according to the legislator.
Her granddaughter suffered cuts and bruises, and a friend had a shoulder separation, Harper-Brown said. Their bicycles were ruined.
“The first thing that went through my mind was, had this bill become law, maybe people would be more aware and a little more careful when they are driving around bicyclists,” Harper-Brown said.
The House this spring approved Senate Bill 488 unanimously, 142-0. Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, carried the measure in the Senate, where it passed, 26-5.
The bill would have required motorists to give cyclists and other vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, runners, motorcyclists, and construction and maintenance workers at least 3 feet clearance when they pass, or at least 6 feet for commercial vehicles.
Violators could have faced a fine of $500 or a Class B misdemeanor in case of injury. The bill did not generate formal opposition as it made its way through the legislative process. But Perry vetoed the bill because, he said, existing state laws accomplish the same thing.
Perry's veto triggered outrage for many cyclists, who have gathered more than 4,000 signatures for a petition declaring that they will keep the governor's veto on their mind when they vote next year.
“We know that bicycle riding is the fastest-growing sport in the nation,” Harper-Brown said. “We want people to get out and ride bicycles and exercise. There are some people who depend on bicycles to get to and from work.”
The number of bike commuters rose from 483,145 in 2003 to 664,859 in 2007, a 37.6 percent increase, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey and cited by USA Today on Monday.
Nearly 20 states have passed laws aimed at protecting cyclists and other vulnerable road users.
Word spread June 19 that Perry was planning to veto the “safe passing” bill. Hundreds of callers flooded Perry's office. The governor vetoed the bill later that day.
“The governor made his decision after reviewing all the facts,” Perry spokeswoman Allison Castle said.
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