Four important Traffic Safety bills (plus a sidewalk bill) will become law as a result of the 2020 General Assembly session.
HB874 – Distracted Driving (Hands Free) – Signed by the Governor. Effective 1/1/2021. (The effective date of 1/1/2021 was selected to allow training and reporting systems to be established in advance of issuing citations.)
HB1705 – Stop for Pedestrians. This bill also prohibits a driver from passing a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk. Signed by the Governor. Effective 7/1/2020.
HB1442 – Photo Enforcement: Enables Automated Photo Speed Enforcement in school and work zones. Governor’s recommendation adopted. Effective 7/1/2020.
SB 437 – Vulnerable Road User. This bill also prohibits a driver from using a bike lane to pass. Governor’s recommendation adopted. Effective 7/1/2020.
SB 758 – Requires that “Electric personal delivery devices” (a.k.a. 500 lb / 10 mph Amazon and FedEx delivery robots) must yield to pedestrians on sidewalks. Effective 7/1/2020. .
We also worked on some other bills to ensure continued funding for trails.
Please let us know about any legislation you’d like to see addressed in 2021.