The transportation minister says it's another step "in modernizing our rules to keep up with new technologies that are changing how people are getting around."

New regulations have created a new minimum distance B.C. drivers must maintain when passing cyclists, the province announced Thursday.

Under changes to B.C.’s Motor Vehicle Act, drivers must maintain a distance of one metre when passing cyclists. On highways with a speed limit above 50 kilometres per hour, that distance increases to 1.5 metres.

“These new regulations will keep people safer on our roads and encourage even more use of active transportation,” Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, said in a statement.