Effective September 1, 2015, there are new rules about driving that everyone should know, and the Peterborough Bicycle Advisory Committee (P-BAC) wants to help spread the word.

Until now, there has been no rule stipulating how much space a motor vehicle must leave when passing a cyclist. Now, drivers must leave a one-metre distance or face a $110 fine and two demerit points. The fine increases to $180 in community safety zones.

This law is part of the province’s Making Roads Safer Act, which was passed in June 2015 with an aim to ensure that our roads are safer for all users. New rules include:

• There is now a $365 fine for opening your door into the path of a cyclist and three demerit points to top it off. It is the responsibility of people getting into or out of a vehicle to ensure that the path is clear before opening a door.

• Cyclists face higher fines for riding without proper lighting. The fine has gone up from $20 to $110.

• Drivers must yield the whole roadway to pedestrians at school crossings and pedestrian crossovers, starting January 1, 2016.

• Some existing fines have been beefed up and now have demerit point losses attached to them. Distracted driving is now a $490 fine and three demerit points with a minimum 30-day suspension for novice drivers. Keep your eyes on the road or you will pay!

To spread awareness of this new law, P-BAC took a bike ride around town on October 14 with signs that help drivers and other cyclists, visualize what one-metre looks like. Take a look at the pictures and video below:

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