In Massachusetts, most police officers receive no formal training about the traffic laws that impact cyclists. Even police officers who ride bicycles often do not receive extensive guidance on bike laws. With the help of an initial grant in 2001 from the Charles River Wheelmen, the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition (MassBike) began developing a police training curriculum.
In 2002, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded a $50,000 contract to MassBike to take the program national. The curriculum is still in the approval process at NHTSA but is expected to be approved in Spring 2005, at which point training materials will be made available through the agency. In the interim, please click here for an introduction and overview of the project.