VIDEO: Congressman Neguse Joins Jill and Michael White in Renewing Call for Passage of the Magnus White Cyclist Safety Act
Lafayette, CO — Last week, Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse joined with Jill and Michael White to reintroduce the Magnus White Cyclist Safety Act–a bill named in honor of their 17-year-old son who tragically lost his life while riding his bicycle. The bill expands on current minimum performance standards to ensure Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) systems that detect pedestrians, also include the detection of bicycles and motorcycles–improving protections for the most basic and most vulnerable users of our streets.
“Fundamentally this is a bill that sees everyone. The farmworker, the cyclist, the pedestrian—every citizen among us. We owe it to them, and we owe it to Magnus, to do everything we can to save lives,” said Congressman Neguse in a video highlighting the bill.
Watch the full video HERE.
“Our son Magnus was doing everything right. He was a champion cyclist, riding in a safe, wide bike lane, and he never stood a chance,” said Michael White, Magnus’ Dad and co-founder, The White Line Foundation. “Since his death, I’ve met too many families living the same nightmare of sudden loss. What’s even harder is knowing that so many of these crashes could have been prevented. I’ve seen this lifesaving tech in action. Automatic Emergency Braking works. It can protect road crews, first responders, motorcyclists, kids walking to school, people in wheelchairs—anyone without a car’s armor. And it could have saved our son. The Magnus White Cyclist Safety Act will ensure this technology becomes standard, not optional.”
Raised in Boulder, Colorado, Magnus White, was a young cycling star representing the United States on the Junior Men's National Team. He was and continues to be a shining light for the people of Colorado’s 2nd District, and sadly passed away in 2023 after being struck by a motorist while on his bike.
In 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law established the rule requiring AEB systems on all vehicles–and last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) finalized the mandate to make these systems standard on all passenger cars and light trucks by September 2029. The Magnus White Cyclist Safety Act builds upon both provisions to ensure AEB systems also detect both bicycles and motorcycles.
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