cycling advocacy

[jeff hatcher]

I am stealing this from the Blue Ridge Cycling Club forum-

please consider sending to your HR rep (https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative)

Dear Sir/Madame

As a constituent and avid road cyclist in WNC, I am writing to respectfully urge you to cosponsor and support H.R. 3649, the Magnus White Cyclist Safety Act of 2025. This bill would direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish strong minimum performance standards for automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems on new passenger vehicles and light trucks, with specific protections for vulnerable road users such as cyclists.

This is not an abstract policy question for our community. On July 1, 2025, cyclists Leonard Antonelli and Jacob Hill were struck and killed by a dump truck on NC 251, a popular Tuesday group-ride route along the French Broad River used by many of your constituents. Their deaths, and the serious trauma to a third rider who survived, have deeply shaken the local cycling community and underscored how exposed people on bikes are when drivers make even a single serious mistake.

Every week, cyclists in our region share narrow mountain roads and busy corridors with fast‑moving vehicle traffic, including NC 251 and other routes where motorists and cyclists must coexist in close quarters. By requiring that AEB systems function reliably in both daylight and low‑light conditions, operate effectively at relevant speeds, and accurately detect and respond to vulnerable road users across the full range of skin tones, clothing colors, and protective gear, this bill would address real‑world safety gaps that people on bikes, on foot, and on motorcycles face every day.

H.R. 3649 focuses on “covered vehicles,” including passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, and light trucks under 10,000 pounds—the vehicles your constituents drive most often on our local roads. Ensuring that the standard safety technology on these vehicles can recognize and respond to cyclists is a pragmatic, data‑driven way to reduce serious crashes and fatalities without placing undue burden on responsible drivers or manufacturers.

(your name and address)