Bike Safety Law Advocate Hit While Cycling

ATLANTA - An avid bicyclist who pushed to get a new law passed regarding bicycling safety was hit by a car on Sunday.

Eric Broadwell was hit while riding in Atlanta by an off-duty Fulton County police office.

Broadwell was instrumental in getting the “3 Foot Law” pushed through state legislature. The law requires drivers to move over three feet when passing a cyclist.

He says the officer that hit him – and the two APD officers who responded to the accident -- didn't seem to know all the rules of the road when it comes to cyclists.

Both Atlanta police and the Fulton County Police Department say their officers are regularly trained on new laws. Broadwell says he had to pull up the law on his phone and show it to them.

The law took effect last July and cycling advocates say it's been a learning process all-around.

"I think law enforcement is still learning how to deal with the '3 Foot Law,' as well as cyclists. We don't know how to report and they're learning what to do when there's an accident,” said Doug Fallon of Bike Roswell.

Broadwell says he now realizes getting the law in place was just the first step. Now it's a matter of making sure people are aware of it.

“What was encouraging is that the...officers were enthusiastic about wanting to receive more training on bicycle laws,” said Broadwell.

Broadwell is a past president of Bike Roswell -- a group that promotes safety and teaches cycling classes. He has worked with police agencies informing them about the law.