With a vote of 45-5, the Iowa Senate passed a bill this week requiring all bicycles to display a rear lamp when traveling on shared roadways after dark, . Senate File 424 would require cyclists to display a rear lamp in addition to the front lamp that鈥檚聽already required. If it passes the Iowa House of Representatives, the 聽would make Iowa the second state, after Florida, to require cyclists to display both lights when riding during nighttime, twilight, or early morning hours.
鈥淲ith spring weather upon us, if your family is like mine, we spend a lot of time on our bicycles, from this time until the fall,鈥 Iowa Senator Tim Kraayenbrink said when introducing the bill. 鈥淚 know this bill is a simple but effective way to improve the safety of our cyclists as they share the road with our trucks, automobiles, and motorcycles.鈥
Under the bill鈥檚 current language, cyclists found to be in violation of the new law would be granted a 72-hour period to replace or repair their rear聽lamp, thereby avoiding the $25 fine聽and having the citation expunged.
As 翱耻迟蝉颈诲别听wrote in February, the law has yet to bring peace to the perennial animosity between the cyclists and motorists who share America鈥檚 roads. The Iowa Bicycle Coalition聽in particular聽has suggested more legislation to make the roads adequately safe for cyclists. On its聽, the group urged members to write their lawmakers to encourage passing SF 424聽and possibly聽amending it to require drivers overtaking a cyclist to move to the left side of the road, opposite side of the highway, or adjacent travel lane, as one would do when overtaking another motorist.