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Wyoming addresses bike safety - by planning law making all cyclists wear 200 square inches of neon reflective

Government-issued ID, reflective vests and rear lights: how Wyoming plans to keep its cyclists safe

Cyclists in Wyoming could be required to carry government-issued ID and display at least two hundred square inches of reflective neon, should a law being considered in the state House be voted through.

Cyclists would also have to have rear lights under the bill that has had some support in the Legislature.

Cycling campaigners have failed to get behind the bill though; particularly the requirement that cyclists wear no less than 200 square inches “of high-visibility fluorescent orange, green or pink color clothing visible from the front and rear of the bicycle,” both day and night - according to its text.

The Uniform Vehicle Code already adopted by the state of Wyoming requires cyclists to use lights or reflectors that can be seen from a distance of 600 feet.

“I’m kind of in favor of requiring rear lights for cyclists,” Jackson Hole Community Pathways Coordinator Brian Schilling told Jackson Hole News. “I don’t think that’s onerous. They’re really cheap, their batteries last a long time, and they’re really effective.

“But the orange vest — I think that’s a little onerous.

“My 5-year-old kid, I don’t think her entire surface area is 200 inches,” he said.

“As far as the actual threat posed to public safety, a far greater good would be achieved by focusing on risky behavior of motorists,” he added.

“Since they are operating vehicles with far greater potential for causing injury or death, they also have greater responsibility for safe operation of those vehicles.”

Jeff Speck, author of Walkable City, took to Twitter to comment, saying: “Wyoming legislature introduces the "We are America's biggest dorks and will never get it" cycling bill.”

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17 comments

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ChuckB | 9 years ago
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+1 on the RoadID, but I would refuse to ride if I have a wear a David Byrne style jersey, in Day-Glo nonetheless...

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RoadChick2 | 9 years ago
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"Must carry state issued ID". This is probably the most concerning loss of freedom to me. Are they going to make runners/joggers carry state issued ID? What about dog walkers?

This seems like an antiquated 1980's East German state law.

In a wreck/car crash the rider often gets seperated from their bike. If you stick an ID in your saddle bag, what are they chances anyone will find it? And if they did, state issued ID's do not have contact information. They do not have blood type. The only status they have is organ donor (maybe this is what they're after  17 ). There is nothing safer about carrying a state-issued ID. Using a Road ID wristband or necklace would be far better.

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RoadChick2 | 9 years ago
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"Must carry state issued ID". This is probably the most concerning loss of freedom to me. Are they going to make runners/joggers carry state issued ID? What about dog walkers?

This seems like an antiquated 1980's East German state law.

In a wreck/car crash the rider often gets seperated from their bike. If you stick an ID in your saddle bag, what are they chances anyone will find it? And if they did, state issued ID's do not have contact information. They do not have blood type. The only status they have is organ donor (maybe this is what they're after  17 ). There is nothing safer about carrying a state-issued ID. Using a Road ID wristband or necklace would be far better.

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Northernbike | 9 years ago
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all this high viz and ID cards isn't very 'land of the free' and 'frontier spirit' is it - more loony left London borough

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Condor flyer | 9 years ago
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Why Oming?
Look, you frigging "safety" nerds, check out scientific research here in the UK which says that drivers can be susceptible to "unintentional blindness". This means that a cyclist or motorcycle can be dressed up like a Christmas tree, complete with fairy lights, and the driver still won't see you!
It occurs because of a trick of the brain which sends the driver in a hurry the information he desires, such as the road being clear to enable him to move out!
And the driver pleads, "But I didn't see you!"
This is why....
Check out "The Psychology of Driving", by Dr Graham Hole,
Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of Sussex.

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jestriding | 9 years ago
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I'd be interested in what evidence they have to base making it illegal to ride without hi-vis. In a study of 80 cyclist fatalities here in New Zealand, 50% were wearing hi-vis and 50% weren't. I think hi-vis probably can't hurt, but in multiple studies around the world it hasn't been shown to be a panacea either. And if people have to put a lot of work into proving it's effectiveness, it probably isn't.

I keep looking at the fatality and injury rates here after the compulsory all age helmet law was introduced. As a percentage of traffic fatalities it's exactly the same as when helmets were introduced and injuries have gone up... meanwhile time spent cycling has reduced by 51%

My guess this is will do nothing for cycling safety and reduce an already low rate of on road cycling.

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jc777 | 9 years ago
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Its the same problem the world over. Drivers need educating about other road users, and extremely harsh penalties if they ever hit a cyclist, pedestrian, horse rider etc.

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Toxmarz | 9 years ago
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I wonder how far it would go if they also required cars to have the same proportional area of “high-visibility fluorescent orange, green or pink color". Average car is 60 sqft of surface area (8640 sq in). Enjoy driving your flourescent pink Pickup Truck!

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bikerdavecycling | 9 years ago
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It's like an arms war. Here we've "daytime running" lights on new cars. Anyone noticed that a) they overpower visibility of other, older cars & b) you can't see their damn indicators? But no, that's what we have. So everyone else ups their visibility. Only when each & every one, pedestrians included, has an actual sun attached to themselves or their vehicles will the race end. And anyone without a personal sun is doomed. It's bullshit.

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don simon fbpe | 9 years ago
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I'll take the car instead for the short shopping trips then.
That way we all win, don't we?

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BobGently | 9 years ago
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200 sq inch 80's style padded shoulders. They could be used to enforce a reasonable passing distance by motorists

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The _Kaner | 9 years ago
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Can it be a 1 inch X 200 inch streamer?

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Beefy | 9 years ago
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Mmm any wonder the USA have massive obesity problems if there politicians discourage a form of physical exercise in such a daft way. My worry is we have idiot politicians here too!

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EarsoftheWolf replied to Beefy | 9 years ago
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Beefy wrote:

Mmm any wonder the USA have massive obesity problems if there politicians discourage a form of physical exercise in such a daft way. My worry is we have idiot politicians here too!

We have idiots, true, but thankfully it's mostly a mild idiocy, not at Midwest-level stupidity.

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ianrobo replied to EarsoftheWolf | 9 years ago
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EarsoftheWolf wrote:
Beefy wrote:

Mmm any wonder the USA have massive obesity problems if there politicians discourage a form of physical exercise in such a daft way. My worry is we have idiot politicians here too!

We have idiots, true, but thankfully it's mostly a mild idiocy, not at Midwest-level stupidity.

Unless you talk about UKIP

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bikebot | 9 years ago
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Wyoming must be a very safety conscious state, deeply concerned about road safety... oh look what I found.

http://legisweb.state.wy.us/2013/Digest/SF0093.htm

That's a 2013 vote, against requiring hands free operation of mobile devices for voice calls.

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Jamminatrix | 9 years ago
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This is how cycling will inevitably die - forcing stupid rules upon cyclists and taking away freedoms. Rather than focusing on the real problem, motorists' ignorance of bike safety, they blame cyclists. Some U.S. states technically already ban cyclists from roadways by having laws requiring cyclists to use sidewalks instead of roadways whenever a sidewalk is present. For those who aren't familiar with U.S. sidewalks, they're not tarmac pathways, they're poorly layed concrete slabs with uneven seams every couple meters, dilapidated surfaces with chunks missing, completely unsuitable for road bikes, crossing over driveways and poorly engineered for travel because they're rarely connected to each other.

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