Have you heard? As of January 1, 2026, Manitoba joins British Columbia, Ontario and others in “a safe passing distance for cyclists.”
Bill 38–The Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Traffic Safety Measures) establish clear rules for drivers when passing cyclists. By law, “drivers must leave at least one metre of space when passing.”
https://news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.html?item=72139&posted=2026-01-02
Thought we already had that? MPI has been urging citizens to make this their practice through public education campaigns but the law didn’t demand it until now.
Ewald Friesen of CAA Manitoba, Government Relations, gave some nice words when the Standing Committee on Social and Economic Development was considering the amendment on Thursday, April 24, 2025:
“The inclusion of a clear, one-metre safe-passing distance rule when motorists are passing cyclists, of course, is a significant improvement in our opinion to what currently exists. The issue is near and dear to the hearts of our members, many of whom enjoy cycling; and contrary to popular opinion, our members identify as motorists as much as they identify as cyclists and pedestrians. So we are, at times, vulnerable road users as well. And this new law will, of course, clarify that one-metre passing distance which we are certainly in favour of.”
Dave Elmore, former board member of Bike Winnipeg, urged the government not to stop with this preliminary step:
“In my opinion this should also be viewed as a good start and not the end goal for keeping cyclists safe.
- It does help to define the distance for passing a person of a bicycle which the current “safe distance” does not.
- It also needs to be combined with a robust public education program to ensure that drivers understand the rule, the consequences and the significant risk that they represent when passing people on bikes.
“We cannot rely on enforcement to ensure that rules are followed and while education will not ensure every driver will follow the rule, I believe that most drivers respect other road users and given the facts, will respect the law.”
“A much safer approach would be to base the passing distance on the posted speed of the passing vehicle. A one meter passing distance is reasonable at speeds of 50 kph and lower, however at speeds exceeding 50 kph the passing distance should be 1.5 meters minimum with a recommendation to change lanes where possible.”
So, there’s room for improvement, even after a tiny triumph.
Even though as cyclists we spent little to no time on *highways*, their rules are what govern our legal entitlements to operate on their roads.
Read the HTA in all its lengthiness here:
Have your own thoughts on needed improvements to the HTA? Add your thoughts in the comments below or head over to the Bike Winnipeg Discord to discuss with others.