A law that will help improve the safety on roadways for cyclists, is now officially in effect.
Ellen’s Law, is an amendment to the Motor Vehicle Act is named in memory of well known cyclist Ellen Watters, who died in December after she was struck while training on her bike.
It forces motorists to give cyclists the one metre they need.
Moncton Centre MLA Chris Collins says this is a major victory for cyclists, “I have been pushing for this since 2012. It has been a long time coming. I’m glad it finally got the ears of government and they acted very, very quickly. I think the most important component is that drivers will learn that cyclists have rights and they have to give them a metre of space”
Starting today, those failing to provide that one metre of space, could be faced with a fine of $172.50, and they will lose three demerit points.
Under the Motor Vehicle Act, a driver of a motor vehicle shall not pass a bicycle travelling in the same direction unless there is sufficient space to do so safely and the driver leaves at least one metre of open space between the vehicle and the bicycle. Motorists may cross the centre line while passing bicycles when it is safe to do so.
