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Clarifying
Passing Cyclists
SB 895 WILL COME INTO EFFECT ON JAN. 1, 2024,
WHICH ALLOWS FOR SAFER TRAVELING
CONDITIONS FOR CYCLISTS
By Josiah Pensado
O
n May 31, 2006, cyclist Jane Higdon was hit by a logging truck and killed
on Territorial Highway south of Eugene when the trucker believed
that he was obeying the no passing zone on the road.
Rep.Tom Andersen (D-South Salem), who was Higdon’s friend,
has long been a champion of bicycle safety. On March 8, Senate Bill
895 had its fi rst public hearing in the Senate. “As an active bicyclist,
I see fi rsthand that if we are not careful and clear in laws regulating
speeds and passing zones in Oregon, lives are put in jeopardy,” Andersen says in a
press release announcing the bill’s passage in May.
SB 895 clarifi es that motorists can and should provide more space to all slow-moving
vehicles, including cyclists, when passing.
The purpose of SB 895 is to clear up any confusion as to when a vehicle can pass
a bicycle or any slow moving vehicle when a double yellow line is present. SB 895 will
add two new additions to Oregon law, the fi rst being that obstructions can be passed
on a double yellow line, just as long as you drive fi ve miles per hour under the posted
speed limit. The second being an amendment clarifying what an “obstruction” is. It
now includes a person riding a bicycle or any other vehicle traveling less than one half
the posted speed limit.
Richard Hughes, who proposed SB 895 to the Legislature says, “It was unanimous
in both the Senate and the House of Representatives and went through and even with
the Republican walkout, we didn't have a problem.” It passed in the Senate 29-0 and
in the House of Representatives 54-0.
According to Michal Young, an associate professor of computer science at the
University of Oregon and active cyclist, most interactions he has with cars are cour-
teous and drivers want you to be safe but don’t necessarily know that it is OK to pass.
Mix this with the fact that rural roads do not have the widest shoulder for cyclists, and
it can lead to mixed reactions from drivers.
So while SB 895 moved forward into law rather painlessly, its trouble lies in ensur-
ing that the public knows about it. Long time cyclists advocate Sue Wolling says that
raising awareness to this new law is the main challenge this law presents. “I think more
than anything it’s just trying to create a little more awareness,” she says, adding that
she hopes that speaking to the press will help raise awareness of SB 895.
Higdon was riding with three other cyclists on Territorial Road when one rider fell
into a ditch as the logging truck passed too closely. Higdon was struck by the rear wheels
of the truck. Higdon was an avid cyclist and held degrees in exercise physiology as well
as a doctorate in nutrition.
Gov. Tina Kotek signed the bill into law on June 7, and it will become eff ective on
Jan. 1, 2024. Sen. Floyd Prozanski (D-Eugene) was a chief sponsor of SB 895. ■
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