Dawn Leja rides with a group of other cyclists. She says one-metre should be given to cyclists on all sides, not just their left and right. (Submitted by Dawn Leja)

A so-called "one-metre rule" came into effect Tuesday, with motorists now required to give at least that distance in space to bicyclists and pedestrians on roads with posted speed limits of 60 km/h or less.

Penalties for failing to do so can range between $100 and $400, or even two to 14 days imprisonment. Drivers will also lose two demerit points from their licence, according to the Highway Traffic Act.

On roads with higher speed limits, the minimum distance is 1.5 metres.

Corner Brook cyclist Dawn Leja told CBC Radio's Newfoundland Morning that Newfoundland and Labrador is one of the last provinces to implement this type of law.

"I've had a few close encounters and it's a little bit scary sometimes when you're out there," Leja said.

"I think it's more just to have people thinking about it and being aware, that it's not just motor vehicles using the road — it's also people who are walking and people who are on bikes."

Leja said she was once almost clipped by a motorcycle while towing her son in a chariot behind her.

Dawn Leja, a cyclist in Corner Brook says, she has had some dangerously close encounters. (Submitted by Dawn Leja)

On another occasion, somebody towing a camper almost clipped her with the vehicle's collapsible stairs.

"I felt the wind graze by my legs. If they had caught my legs, well, I would have been under the wheels for sure," she said.

In December 2017, Bicycle N.L. — which represents cyclists across the province — lobbied the Ball government to draft the law.

Leja said that most drivers in her area are courteous to cyclists, and that she understands motorists can sometimes get frustrated when they are in a rush.

However, she said the stakes for pedestrians and cyclists can literally be life or death in some circumstances, which she said makes the one-metre rule important, especially for children.

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