Jim Doyle, Parked Cars, and Bikes

Gov. Jim Doyle has changed the rules of the road.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Drivers could be fined if they opened the door of a parked car and struck a bicycle under a bill signed Monday by Gov. Jim Doyle.

Rep. Spencer Black (D-Madison) said he pushed the bill after a Madison woman was struck by a door while bicycling and then given a ticket while she was being treated in the emergency room. She had violated a law that says bicyclists must ride three feet from parked cars.

The bill Doyle signed eliminates the law that bikers must ride three feet from parked cars.

Drivers who strike bikers with their doors could be fined $40 for a first offense under the new law.

Was it necessary for the injured Madison woman to be given a ticket for her violation while she was being treated in the emergency room?

I don't know how seriously she was hurt, but I think the ticket could have waited until she received treatment.

However, she was in violation of the law.

Because an officer made that rather awkward move, is that any reason for Doyle to do away with a law that makes sense in terms of safety for both drivers and cyclists?

No.

When drivers and cyclists share the road, they have to be aware of each other.

Cyclists need to respect and be conscious of people in cars. Likewise, people in cars need to respect and be conscious of the presence of cyclists.

Of course, it makes sense for cyclists to keep a safe distance from parked cars.

It does not make sense to do away with that requirement throughout the state. Why?

On the flip side, it makes sense for people to check the road before they swing open the doors of parked cars into traffic. There's no excuse for slamming a car door into a cyclist.

The fine for the "first offense" is kind of strange. Are there many repeat offenders? What are the odds of hitting a cyclist with a car door?

The JS article doesn't say what the fines would be for the second or third or more offenses.

I don't think the onus should just be on the person in the car when it comes to being mindful of what's happening on the road. I think there should be shared responsibility. Doyle doesn't think so. He apparently prefers to pander to the green contingent.

If people would abandon their cars and ride mass transit, if they took Doyle's choo-choo, hitting a cyclist with a car door wouldn't be an issue at all.