technical correction; overtaking bicycles

Plain English Breakdown

The official status indicates the bill passed both chambers, but no effective date is provided in the source material.

SB1652: Technical Correction on Passing Bicycles

This bill clarifies that drivers must leave at least three feet of space when passing bicycles and sets civil fines if a crash causes serious injury or death.

What This Bill Does

• Requires drivers to exercise due care by leaving at least three feet between their vehicle and a bicycle when passing it in the same direction until safely past.
• Sets a civil penalty of up to $500 if violating this rule leads to serious physical injury for someone else in a collision.
• Sets a civil penalty of up to $1,000 if violating this rule results in death for another person in a collision.

Who It Names or Affects

• Drivers of motor vehicles who overtake bicycles on Arizona roads
• Bicyclists traveling in vehicular traffic lanes

Terms To Know

Civil penalty

A fine paid to the government, not a criminal punishment like jail time.

Serious physical injury

Injury defined by Arizona law in section 13-105 that causes significant harm or risk of death.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not state when the new rules will officially take effect.
• Civil penalties only apply if a collision occurs; they do not cover violations where no crash happens.

Official Summary Text

SB1652 - technical correction; overtaking bicycles

Current Bill Text

SB1652 - 572R - I Ver

REFERENCE TITLE:
technical correction; overtaking bicycles

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

SB 1652

Introduced by

Senator
Finchem

AN
ACT

amending section 28-735, Arizona Revised
Statutes; relating to vehicle regulation.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Section 28-735, Arizona Revised
Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE
28-735.

Overtaking bicycles; civil penalties

A. When overtaking and passing a bicycle proceeding
in the same direction, a person driving a motor vehicle shall exercise due care
by leaving a safe distance between the motor vehicle and the bicycle of not
less than three feet until the motor vehicle is safely past the overtaken
bicycle.

B. If a person violates this section and the
violation results in a collision causing:

1. Serious physical injury as defined in section 13-105
to another person, the violator is subject to a civil penalty of up to five
hundred dollars.

2. Death to another person, the violator is subject
to a civil penalty of up to one thousand dollars.

C. Subsection B of this section does not apply
to

if
a bicyclist
who

is injured in a vehicular traffic lane when a designated bicycle lane or path
is present and passable.
END_STATUTE