A proposal being sent to South Dakota's legislative research council has its sights set on highway safety.  The bill would require drivers to allow a certain amount of space on the state's roads for bicyclists and pedestrians. The legislation has a strong connection with one KELOLAND man.
 
As hard as he tries, Tony Anderson can't help but think about his dad.

"Biking was everything to my father," Anderson said. 

He died doing what he loved. He was peddling down a rural Iowa highway when he was hit by a van. Anderson doesn't want it to happen to anyone else, so he's pushing for a new South Dakota law to protect bicyclists and others on the road from drivers.

South Dakota's Office of Accident Records says more than 100 bicyclists were hurt in car crashes along the state's roads last year.

The proposal would force drivers to stay at least three feet away when passing bicyclists.  It's a cushion that Anderson says is becoming more common across the country.

"A three-feet was developed through 14 other states. It's just been a standard throughout the different states," Anderson said.

Anderson says he's also going to push for more education programs that would further teach both drivers and bicyclists the rules of the road.

"When you lose a family member to something like this, it just hits home, and you try to do whatever you can," Anderson said.

It's something he says would make his father proud.

State Senator Sandy Jerstad says she decided to head up the bill after hearing Anderson's story.  Jerstad says she hopes to get support for the proposal early on when the legislative season begins.