The California Bicycle Coalition is currently running the “Give Me Three” campaign in collaboration with the City of Los Angeles to encourage and support the passing of Sentate Bill 910. With this bill motorists would need to give bicyclists at least three feet when passing on the road or risk the possibility of a ticket.

Why is supporting this law so important for bike advocacy? Because it raises awareness of our need as motorists to pay more attention to bicyclists when we’re on the road, and understand that when driving we aren’t as good at judging a “safe” distance as we think we are. The California Bicycle Coalition (CBC) “Give Me Three” website states:

“The slightest error by the driver or a minor shift by the bicyclist to avoid debris or rough pavement can lead to a collision. These aren’t the most common type of car-bike collision, but they’re the most deadly: passing-from-behind collisions are the leading cause of bicyclist fatalities in California.”

We applaud and support the CBC’s efforts and you to support it too. The CBC’s “Give Me Three” has made it very easy to donate a little money ($3 for 3 feet), learn particulars about the bill, and write your own senator. Why not take five minutes right now and click a few links? Need more inspiration? Click here to read L.A. Mayor Villaraigosa’s support of the bill.

Another very important way we can help is to write to the Auto Club of Southern California (and cc: your local Assembly Member) and let them know how disappointed and dismayed your are that they would like to gut this bill and take away its teeth. Again from the CBC “Give Me Three” website:

“The auto clubs propose gutting SB 910 by making the 3-foot passing provision optional, without acknowledging that more bicyclists die from being hit by drivers passing from behind than from any other cause.”

I was appalled to find out that the Auto Club (the company that I was insured with almost my entire adult life as an auto owner, the company I happily planned so many U.S. vacations with)  is such a powerful force against bicycle advocacy. It needn’t be so. If the Auto Club heard from its members who own and ride bikes as well as drive cars, and people-who-could-become-AAA-members-but-won’t-until they-change-their-bicycle-stance, that we don’t like their stance on this bill, nor their stance on bicycle issues in general, I think we could see a pretty quick shift in the company’s overall bike policy. In a market driven economy consumers have tremendous power – if they use it.

I’m writing my letter to the Auto Club today.  Please write a letter too.