Bill Could Require Bicyclists to Yield in Some Circumstances

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — Bicycle riders in South Dakota would be required to yield to vehicles in certain circumstances under a bill being debated in the Legislature.

The proposal would require a bicyclist to pull to the side of the road and stop if a faster vehicle came up behind on a roadway with a limited shoulder or no shoulder. Violations would be punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine.

Hill City Rep. Mike Verchio tells the Argus Leader newspaper that he decided to sponsor the bill after hearing concerns from truck drivers who had trouble passing cyclists on narrow roads in the Black Hills.

Falls Area Bicyclists President Chris Parsley says Verchio's bill would reverse some of the state's success in becoming safer for cyclists.