A new law goes into effect today for California drivers. The Three Feet for Safety Act, signed by Gov. Jerry Brown last year, now requires drivers to stay at least three feet away from cyclists while passing.
If traffic is too heavy to change lanes, or if other conditions make the three-foot buffer impossible, drivers must slow to a "reasonable" and prudent speed and wait to pass until the cyclist is safe.
Drivers who are caught violating the law but don’t cause an injury will be fined $35, which becomes $233 with court and administrative fees. A violation that leads to an injury will garner a base find of $220, which with fees becomes $959.
For more information, visit the California Bicycle Coalition webpage, https://calbike.org/advocacy/giveme3/give-me-3-faq/.