Ocheyedan, Iowa — A state senator from our area has written a bill that he says would make bicycling safer by requiring a flashing red light on the rear of the bike. But it’s not getting much traction in the Senate.
Independent State Senator David Johnson from Ocheyedan tells us about the current situation.
But he says he doesn’t think that’s enough.
He says the issue came up after an accident north of Rock Rapids in 2012.
Johnson says that unfortunately, the bill seems to be “deep sixed” this year. And what’s more, the Iowa Bicycle Coalition doesn’t seem to be very interested in the bill either. The group’s Mark Wyatt says people who identify as bicyclists probably already have flashing red lights. He says they don’t want to make bicycling inaccessible to kids and families due to cost, and he says there’s a local control angle that has to be included as well. Many cities have such a law, but it is not a state law.
Johnson says the cost of the lights should not be an issue.
He says there was also an issue brought up about the availability of the lights since there are fewer bike shops in rural areas. Johnson says the lights are also available online, so availability shouldn’t be an issue either.
But for now, the bill’s future looks dim.
