By Jim Titus, The Washcycle<\/p>\n
The brown mailing envelopes in which Maryland drivers receive their registration or drivers license renewal forms this month include the message “Give bikes THREE FEET when passing, IT’S THE LAW<\/span>” along with the standard sketch<\/a> showing a cyclist to the right of a compact car. The message runs about 30% of the length of the envelope, right above the address window, so alot of people will probably notice it. Running along the bottom of the envelope the entire length of the address window is the message “Share the road, You could save a life<\/em>.”<\/p>\n The Motor Vehicle Administration has also created a public service message in which MVA director John Kuo explains that cyclists may use the full lane before he introduces himself. That explanation is provided over \ufeffabout 18 seconds of video shot from a bicycle while cars pass safely. Mr. Kuo goes on to explain the importance of leaving three feet while passing a bike, with more footage of cars passing bikes, including a bike in the middle of a door-zone bike lane<\/a>. <\/p>\n Although some advoates have argued that the presence of a double yellow line allows drivers to ignore the three-foot rule<\/a>, that is clearly not the view of \ufeffthe Maryland Department of Transportation: several of the shots show drivers crossing the double yellow line to leave a safe passing distance.<\/p>\n