Bicycles and cars share the road on new Washington plates

And if you live in Washington state, you can share your beliefs with other cyclists and motorists by purchasing “Share the Road” license plates beginning Jan. 3, 2006.

The state legislature approved making available the “Share the Road” license plates when it met in 2005. Funds will go to bicycle and pedestrians safety and education programs.

The “Share the Road” plates are available at Department of Licensing offices across the state and cost $40; you'll have to pay another $30 when vehicle registration is due, whether you've had the special plates for a year or not. Therefore, the state recommends renewing registration when purchasing the plates. More questions are answered by a Bicycle Alliance of Washington FAQ.

According to the HB1254, a qualified nonprofit bicycle and pedestrian safety and education organization will receive $28 of the initial and renewal fees. 

The Bicycle Alliance of Washington helped push the “Share the Road” bill through the legislature in Olympia. It was just one of three bicycle friendly bills that passed the legislature last session.

Another important bicycle bill — HB1108 — prohibits motor vehicles from passing when a bicycle, pedestrian, law enforcement or farm equipment is in view approaching from the opposite direction.

Cyclists urged passage of that bill after an accident near Walla Walla in 2004. Eight cyclists were riding single file along Route 124 when a car passing a cattle truck and another vehicle struck and killed one of the cyclists in the approaching group. Barbara Culp of Bicycle Alliance of Washington told the Tacoma News Tribune:

“You might think that bike riders and pedestrians are safe and legally protected when they are on the road’s shoulder, but prior to this law change the shoulder was a legal no man’s land. … “If  you killed someone when they were on the shoulder of the road, you would not necessarily be charged with any crime.”