A Republican member of the Missouri House of Representatives, Jay Houghton, is proposing an amendment to a bill that would require cyclists to equip their bikes “with a flag clearly visible from the rear and suspended not less than fifteen feet above the roadway when the bicycle is standing upright.” for cyclists riding on a “lettered county road.”

The 20,000 miles of “lettered county roads” are the state system of supplementary roads.

Houghton also specifies the colour that he feels the flag should be. “The flag shall be fluorescent orange in color,” the amendment states.

There has been resistance to the idea though with many feeling that it would decrease safety on the roads with flags possibly getting caught in bridges, trees and overhead lines.

“They’re attacking this the wrong way, there is a problem. There really is a problem. Too many cyclists get hit every year and and it’s the responsibility of everyone to dial that back and having a cyclist wear a 15 foot flag is not going to do anything to change that,” Jake Cornett, Blues Bike Shop mechanic told Four States News.

1 COMMENT

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here