FSU Police officers teach motorists 'three feet' law
For about two hours on Tuesday, Maj. Jim Russell of the FSU Police Department pedaled the streets in an effort to educate motorists.
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Florida state law requires motorists to allow three feet between their vehicle and a cyclist, but the FSU PD wanted to know the extent to which local drivers follow the law — or even know about it.
Wearing a helmet, T-shirt and khaki shorts and with a backpack slung behind him, Russell rode a mountain bike along the 300 block of Stadium Drive near the FSU College of Medicine.
He was conducting a bit of an experiment. While Russell rode, two officers in marked cars were positioned to make stops of motorists who failed to stay three feet away from Russell and another officer tracked the number of vehicles that passed.
Only four vehicles were stopped out of 104. Those stopped were given a warning and educated about the law. Most of the four did not know the law, and the majority of drivers gave more space.
"Nobody scared me or gave me a heart attack," Russell said. "And most people gave more room. It was nice because when we pulled people over, we were able to get their reaction and educate them."
Local cyclist Karen Loewen estimates that 5 percent of the drivers she encounters don't allow room on the road.
"It's more like 5 percent of them are doing it out of spite rather than out of ignorance," Loewen said. "My impression is that people know they're not supposed to be that close, but they don't think we should be on the road."
The vice president of Capital City Cyclists, Loewen also believes cyclists need to be educated about how to ride on the street.
Educating drivers about the law is at the heart of Joe Mizereck's business called threefeetplease.com. Last October, Mizereck began selling bright yellow shirts with "It's the law" and "Three Feet Please" written on the front and back.
"I'm pleased those guys at FSU are (educating the public)," Mizereck said. "Of the 15 states that have this law, this is the first time I've heard of an agency trying to figure out how to enforce the law. It was a smart move."