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Helping You Visualize the New 3-Foot Passing Law — The Bold Italic — San Francisco

2 min read
The Bold Italic

Today, the “Three Feet for Safety” law went into effect. This new official law says that drivers must give at least three feet of clearance when passing a bicyclist. And, if there’s not enough room on the street to give that much space, the driver has to slow down and only pass when it’s safe to do so.

If you’re like me, sometimes you have a hard time visualizing distance. What exactly is three feet in width? To help you out, here are some common items that add up to about three-feet placed between a car and a cyclist.

3 foot-long subs

3 men’s size 12 shoes

1 acoustic guitar

1 five-year-old

2 stretched-out cats

4 nine-inch burritos

Photos via Thinkstock and by Sarah Han

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Tagged in:

Biking, Transportation

Last Update: March 21, 2026

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