Correction: an earlier version of this story said that the Wyoming legislature passed a mandatory safe distance bill. It was introduced, but did not pass.
A series of bicyclist fatalities on Wyoming roads this summer has one state group pushing for new safety laws.
Wyoming Pathways is a bicyclist advocacy group based in Jackson. This week it asked Wyoming legislative committees to consider two measures designed to protect bicyclists and other non-automotive users of state roads. The first measure would be a mandatory safe distance when cars are passing cyclists, while the second would be a law that would create new penalties for when drivers hurt or kill bikers.
Tim Young is Wyoming Pathways Executive Director. He says bikers deserve the same consideration as motorists.
“They’re legal, lawful users of public roads and highways. Public safety rises above motorists’ attempts to dominate the highway. Public safety requires everyone to share the road.”
In 2011 the Wyoming legislature introduced a mandatory safe distance bill, but it failed in the house. At least four people have died cycling on Wyoming roads this summer.