I laughed out loud when I first read the article from South Dakota that intoxicated bicyclists might soon be able to ride around without fear of being arrested for drunken driving.
The laughing stopped when I discovered the bigger implications of the proposed bill.
Last week state legislators had passed a bill out of committee — it still needs to be approved by the state Senate and signed by the governor — that exempted people riding bicycles and horses from such traffic laws.
While House Bill 1190 might be well-meaning toward people who choose alternative transportation after carousing, it ends up doing a great deal of damage to cyclists' rights. The bill exempts horses and bicycles from the statutory definition of vehicles.
A South Dakota cyclist immediately realized the impact this could have on bicyclists' ability to make use of the public roads. A bicycle advocacy page was put up at the Spoke-N-Sport web site to publicize the problem for cyclists throughout the state.
The cyclist is urging people to send the following letter:
Senator, I am writing to draw your attention to HB1190. I and many others in my local bicycling community are concerned that excluding bicycles from the definition of vehicle could adversely effect my rights to use my bicycle on public roads. Please look at this bill and be sure that my rights to use my bicycle on the road are not compromised before you vote for it. Thank you.
The blogger at The MinusCar Project, located in Sioux Falls, SD, also has jumped on the issue, which he notes has finally drawn the attention of the media concerning the bigger implications of what many, including myself, thought was a quirky little bill.
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