Evaluating High-Visibility Enforcement of Bicycle Passing Laws

Details

• Creators:
  Blomberg, R. D. ; Wright, T.J. ; Van Houten, Ron ; Finstad, Kraig A. ; Thomas, F. D.
• Corporate Creators:
  Dunlap and Associates, inc.
• Corporate Contributors:
  United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Office of Vehicle Safety Research
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Bicycle safety
  • Passing
  • Bicycle crashes
  • Visibility distance
  • Visibility
  • Traffic law enforcement
  • overtaking
  • passing distance
  • high-visibility enforcement
  • HVE
• Publication/ Report Number:
  DOT HS 813 248
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.21949/1526051
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Edition:
  Final 9/27/17 – 7/27/20
• Contracting Officer:
  Johnson, Kristie
• Corporate Publisher:
  United States. Department of Transportation. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Abstract:
  This study selected Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Knoxville, Tennessee, to implement high-visibility enforcement (HVE) programs to increase compliance with laws requiring drivers to leave a minimum distance when passing a bicycles. In Grand Rapids, a local ordinance required leaving 5 feet, and in Knoxville the State law and local ordinance required a minimum 3 feet to pass. Police in both cities used the same ultrasonic measuring devices to determine if drivers passing decoy officers on a bicycles were too close. Each city developed its own publicity program to increase the visibility of the enforcement. HVE programs continued for approximately 4 months in each city. Results showed that the average passing distance in both cities during baseline was already well in excess of the prevailing legal requirement, but violations were still high. By the end of the HVE programs, statistically significant increases in average passing distance and significant decreases in violations were achieved in both cities.
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  DTNH2216C00027
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/60876/dot_60876_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 5.99 MB]
• Collection(s):
  NHTSA - Behavioral Safety Research
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:2f0bf31a917fe958eba58c902ab0001f2bfa111a154d2559081a9f25cd1a18fc