Do minimum passing distance laws for cyclists change driver behaviour?

This study examines the impact of minimum passing distance laws (sometimes called ‘1-meter laws’ or ‘3-foot laws’) on driver behaviour. Passing distances were recorded for 70 cyclists in Perth, Western Australia both before and after the introduction of such a law. The law coincided with an advertising campaign promoting cyclist safety; however, there was little police enforcement. There was a real improvement in driver behavior after the law was introduced, particularly on roads with lower speed limits. On these roads, the 5th percentile of passes was 12 cm further away after the law. Protected bicycle lanes have previously been shown to be associated with a 73cm increase in passing distance - around 6 times more effective than this minimum passing distance law.

Recommended citation: James Sinclair, Jonathan Nolan, Do minimum passing distance laws for cyclists change driver behaviour?, SSRN, 2024.
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