Friday’s nor'easter has delayed introduction of what will be known as Ellen's Law at the New Brunswick legislature.
Calls for the law began after promising young cyclist Ellen Watters was struck and killed by a vehicle while on a ridenear Sussex in December. Her death prompted a petition for a law in her name to improve the safety of cyclists.
“The proposed law is that vehicles will stay one metre, or three feet, away from cyclists unless they're going above 50 kilometers, then they'll stay 1.5 metres away,” says Moncton bike shop manager Rick Snyder.
While admitting safety always comes first on the roads, some members of the trucking industry say such a law will not be easy for drivers to abide by.
“Especially on the highway, it is a 100,000 pound vehicle driving down the highway,” says Jean-Marc Picard of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association. “So braking is not as simple as in a Honda Civic.”
But Picard says the proposed new law could be a learning opportunity for those behind the wheel of large trucks.
“At the end of the day, yes, there will be an adaptation period and something that might be incorporated into training for truck drivers in the future,” says Picard.
The cycling community is cautiously optimistic Ellen's Law will become law.
Now, they will have to wait to see what happens when the formal proposal is discussed in the legislature next Thursday.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Jonathan MacInnis
