It's your turn!
The House Of Assembly opens later this month. This means a renewed effort to encourage our provincial government to consider legislating a required one-metre passing distance.
Below, you can read our original letter.
Now, we need your help. Take this text, copy / paste it into an email or letter, and forward it to your local member of the house. The more vocal we are, the more they will see the importance of this law.
All you have to do is add their name, sign yours, and maybe add your own personal touch.
Thanks in advance, and please share this with your friends! If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].
To my MHA,
In our province, we have a fair share of encounters between bicycles and motor vehicles. Some of these have been fatal. There is no one reason for any of these instances, but there is an answer. Today, as someone who is concerned about bicycle safety in this province and as your constituent, I am asking you to stand up for the implementation of a One Metre Law in Newfoundland and Labrador. This law would prohibit drivers from passing anyone travelling on their bicycle in the same direction, unless there is at least one metre of open space between the vehicle and the bicycle.
Failure to provide room for cyclists will result in a fine. The intention is to promote and encourage a much safer environment for everyone on our roads.
Bicycles are already protected on our roadways, and are considered to have the same rights as a motor vehicle according to the Highway Traffic Act. This is excellent, but lacking in a clear definition of how a car should approach someone riding their bike. A One Metre Law would erase any confusion.
The law would be similar to those already in place in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, as well as 27 states in the United States and many other countries of the world. It is time that Newfoundland and Labrador did the same to make our roads safer for everyone.
I hope I can count on your support, as my member in the House of Assembly, to raise this issue and help save the lives of vulnerable road users in our province.
Thank you,
(Your name here)
