New MO bicycle Safety Law

I received this from a guy at work:

The 2005 Missouri Bicycle Safety Bill, promoted by the Missouri Bicycle Federation and other key bicycle/pedestrian groups across the state and passed by the Missouri General Assembly in May 2005, has now been signed by the governor!
Summary of the new bicycle safety law, SB372/HB487:
* Motorists shall leave a safe distance when overtaking bicyclists.There is a penalty for those who pass unsafely, and a more severe penalty when passing too close results in a collision. Having a specific offense for passing too closely will also make it easier to escalate to higher penalties when that is appropriate (for instance, when a driver purposefully passes too close in order to harass or intimidate).
* The first bicycle lane regulations in Missouri law. Bike lanes may not be blocked. Motorists must yield to bicyclists in the bike lane before crossing the lane. A bicycle lane is for preferential use by bicyclists but the bicyclists are NOT confined to the lane as is required by many other states.
* Updated the definition of "bicycle" in Missouri law to include adult tricycles and quadracycles (previously these were in legal limbo).
* When a shoulder is present, bicyclists may, but are NOT REQUIRED to, operate on the shoulder. Previously shoulder riding was technically illegal. This did not create much of a practical problem, because police did not enforce it. But it created a severe policy problem--how can you improve the shoulder of a highway for bicycle use, when it is technically illegal for bicyclists to ride there? How do you make a statewide bicycling map, which (among other things) shows which roads have shoulders and which don't? Now problems like these are solved.
* Bicyclists may indicate a right turn by raising the left arm to the square OR by pointing with the right arm. Research shows that pointing in the direction of the turn is the signal best understood by motorists. Now it is legal to do so in Missouri.
* Bicyclists hand and arm signals need not be given continuously if the hand/arm is needed to control the bicycle.
Links to complete bill texts:SB372: http://www.senate.mo.gov/05info/billtext/tat/SB372.htmhttp://www.senate.mo.gov/05info/billtext/tat/SB372.htmHB487: http://www.house.state.mo.us/bills051/biltxt/truly/HB0487T.HTMhttp://www.house.state.mo.us/bills051/biltxt/truly/HB0487T.HTM


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Kirby