Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog
The Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition, MassBike, has advocated for safer and more accessible cycling since 1977. For over four decades, we have led the charge to improve conditions on our roads, paths, and trails, meeting the needs of our riders to encourage everyday riding.
We have successfully supported the passage of a new law on road safety, which had been making its way through the state house for almost a decade. It was known as the An Act to Reduce Traffic Fatalities. The law designates “vulnerable users” on our roadways as a special protected class for people on foot, on bikes, on horses, doing roadside repairs, and on farm equipment, all of whom are sharing our public ways with drivers of automobiles. This legislation, with its clear regulations and forthcoming amendments, is a significant step towards ensuring the safety of all road users. It essentially clarifies the need for drivers to give people space and patience to keep our fellow road users safe.
The bill’s name matches the goals for systemic changes, and we have focused on preventing incidents. As in, we intend to stop a crash before it happens. Specifics of the law now require motorists passing vulnerable road users to provide at least 4 feet of space, allowing drivers to legally cross a double yellow line to do so as long as they drive safely and within the speed limit. The law also mandates that large trucks owned or leased by the Commonwealth must have side guards between the front and rear wheels, convex mirrors, and backup cameras to improve driver awareness. Additionally, this legislation adds red rear lights, the required rear reflector, and a front white light for bicyclists riding at night.