Bicycling Education

How to Lock Your Bike

Get advice on how to protect your bike! Find out when you should lock your bike, where, and how, read all about bike locking guidelines (PDF).

School Area Traffic Safety

The City works closely with the Ventura Unified School District to provide safe, accessible, and convenient travel routes from home to school in an effort to reduce traffic congestion around schools. The following School Area Traffic Safety Guidelines (PDF) layout the policies, programs and suggested school routes.

Three Feet for Bicycle Safety Law

This law which took effect September 16, 2014, requires motorists to give at least 3 feet of clearance when passing a bike from behind. The law is designed to make safe passing a lot less confusing since previous law simply required a driver to keep a "safe distance" from a bicyclist. State law doesn't guarantee drivers a right to pass whenever or wherever they want. Drivers may only pass another vehicle or a bicycle when it's safe to do so.

What about passing on narrow roads?

Drivers will now be required to slow down to a safe and reasonable speed and wait to pass only when it is safe to do so. The driver either has to pass when the 3 feet is available or they have to be prepared to demonstrate that 3 feet were not available and that a slower, closer pass was done according to the law. This is a higher burden of proof for drivers than under previous law.

If you have any questions, you may find many of your answers at this advocacy site.

Penalties

AB 1371 contains 2 penalties. For a violation that does not result in an injury, the bill sets a base fine of $35, which becomes a $233 fine for the driver once court and administrative fees are added. This is the existing fine for unsafe passing.

For a violation that involves a collision that injures a bicyclist, the base fine is $220, which becomes a $959 fine for the driver. This new penalty is equal to the lowest fine imposed for reckless driving with bodily injury.

National Strategies for Advancing Bicycle Safety

(According to League of American Bicyclist)
The National Strategies for Advancing Bicycle Safety is a publication of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Transportation; the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and the Federal Highway Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

National Strategies for Advancing Bicycle Safety

    Goal Number 1 Motorists Will Share the Road
    Goal Number 2 Bicyclists Will Ride Safely
    Goal Number 3 Bicyclists Will Wear Helmets
    Goal Number 4 The Legal System Will Support Safe Bicycling
    Goal Number 5 Roads and Paths Will Safely Accommodate Bicycling