If you’ve ever ridden a bike on a busy road, you know that sometimes cars may pass a little too close for comfort or you have to be wary of the sudden opening of the driver-side door
Safe-passing laws call for a 3 foot distance, a.k.a. one yard. Sounds ample enough. But a recent photo blog showed 3 feet as the distance on train platforms between the yellow line and where the train whizzes by. Few people want to be that close to the train. Then add the fact that most car doors are about 3 – 4.5 feet wide, and you have the chance that a biker won’t have time to stop or be ‘doored’ by the oblivious driver.
Why is this relevant? Well for one, those images stick with the reader. The analogy provides a clear image of what 3 feet looks and feels like. It might help a bike safety advocate convince a city planner to make the bike lanes wider.
So what is the definition of 3 feet? It’s the ability to make a point without it being lost upon your audience 60 seconds later.