Vehicle Laws - Bicycles, Motor Scooters, and EPAMDs - Audible Warnings (Pass Pedestrians Safely Act)
HB1567, titled the Pass Pedestrians Safely Act, amends Maryland transportation law governing bicycles, motor scooters, and electric personal assistive mobility devices (EPAMDs). The bill authorizes EPAMDs to be equipped with certain audible devices and expands existing equipment rules so that bicycles, motor scooters, and EPAMDs may use a bell, horn, or other audible signal device, while continuing to prohibit sirens and whistles. It also adds a new safety standard for people operating these devices when overtaking and passing others.
Under the bill, operators of bicycles, motor scooters, and EPAMDs must exercise due care to avoid collisions with vehicles or pedestrians and, when practicable, pass at least three feet away from a vehicle or pedestrian. Before passing a pedestrian, the operator must give an audible warning by voice or by bell, horn, or another device. A violation of the distance and audible-warning requirements is treated as a secondary offense and carries a civil penalty of $25, meaning it may be enforced only when an officer has already detained the person for a suspected violation of another provision of the code.
The bill amends Section 21-1207 of the Transportation Article and adds new Section 21-1209.1 to the Annotated Code of Maryland. Its effect is to create explicit passing and warning duties for operators of bicycles, motor scooters, and EPAMDs, while also clarifying what audible devices may be used on those devices. The law would add a new civil-enforcement provision and a modest penalty structure, and it would take effect October 1, 2026.
The available legislative history suggests generally favorable sentiment toward the bill. It passed the House on third reading by a wide margin, 105 yeas to 19 nays, and the committee report was favorable with amendments. The bill’s framing as a pedestrian-safety measure likely contributed to its support, and there is no recorded committee transcript in the provided materials indicating substantial opposition or debate.
The main policy issues appear to be how much responsibility should be placed on riders of bicycles, motor scooters, and EPAMDs when passing pedestrians and vehicles, and whether the new requirements should be enforceable as a primary or secondary offense. The bill resolves that by making enforcement secondary only, which limits police authority and may reflect a compromise. Another possible point of contention is the three-foot passing standard, especially where road or sidewalk conditions make that distance impracticable, though the bill includes that qualifier. The amendment allowing audible devices on EPAMDs, while still banning sirens and whistles, also suggests attention to balancing safety with device regulation.