Hamilton police are being asked to investigate options for enforcing a four-year-old law that aims to protect cyclists.
The city’s public works committee has approved a motion asking police to “consider options for enforcement of the one-metre passing law.”
Committee members have been told that police in other cities, including Ottawa and Guelph, enforce the rule using radar devices.
Ward 8 Coun. John-Paul Danko tabled the motion on Monday morning saying many drivers don’t realize a bicycle is equivalent to any other vehicle and that they’re required to slow down and pass safely leaving a one-metre buffer.
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Danko says the purpose of his motion is educational, to “make sure people are aware of their obligations.”
The one-metre passing law was passed into law four years ago by the provincial government in memory of Greg Stobbart, an OPP officer who was struck and killed while riding his bicycle near Milton in 2006.
The public works committee also approved a separate motion brought forward by Ward 4 Coun. Sam Merulla on Monday, asking the federal government to recognize distracted driving as a criminal code violation, much like impaired driving.