HCS HB 518, 288, 418 & 635 -- HIGHWAY SAFETY (St. Onge)

COMMITTEE OF ORIGIN:  Transportation

This substitute changes the laws regarding highway safety.

HIGHWAY WORK ZONE PROTECTION

"Worker" or "highway worker" is defined as any person who is
working in a construction or work zone or any employee of the
Department of Transportation working on a state highway or state
highway right-of-way.

Any person guilty of a moving violation within a construction or
work zone for the first offense will be subject to a $35 fine and
$75 for a second or subsequent violation.  A fine for speeding in
a construction or work zone will be $250 for the first offense
and $350 for a second or subsequent violation.  Passing in a zone
will be a class C misdemeanor.  The substitute establishes the
crime of endangerment of a highway worker and specifies the
circumstances.

A surcharge must be accessed on all traffic violations in the
state.  The Work Zone Safety Trust Fund is created for the
deposit of the surcharges and other revenues to be used for
funding enforcement of all traffic laws in construction or work
zones.

PASSING ZONES

A person is prohibited from driving a vehicle across a clearly
marked solid yellow center stripe of a roadway, indicating a no
passing zone, except when executing a lawful turn, overtaking a
vehicle that is traveling at a speed of less than 25 miles per
hour, or avoiding debris in the roadway as long as the action
does not create a hazard.

HIGHWAY LANE USAGE

The Department of Transportation is allowed to erect signs on
highways with three or more lanes to require trucks to only drive
in the two right-hand lanes.

CHILD PASSENGER RESTRAINTS

The substitute:

(1)  Requires children less than four years of age to be secured
in a child passenger restraint system appropriate for the child;

(2)  Requires children four through five years of age to be
secured in a child passenger restraint system or booster seat;

(3)  Requires children at least six years of age to be secured by
a vehicle safety belt, child passenger restraint system, or
booster seat;

(4)  Allows children weighing more than 40 pounds, who would
otherwise be required to be secured in a booster seat, to be
transported in the back seat of a vehicle while wearing only a
lap belt if the back seat of the motor vehicle is not equipped
with a combination lap and shoulder belt for booster seat
installation;

(5)  Requires car rental agencies doing business in Missouri to
inform customers of the requirements of the substitute and to
provide for the rental of an appropriate child passenger
restraint system;

(6)  Exempts public carriers for hire or school buses; and

(7)  Requires the Department of Public Safety to develop a public
information program to ensure compliance with the child passenger
restraint laws.

A violation of the child passenger restraint and safety belt
provisions is an infraction and punishable by a fine of not more
than $25 plus court costs with no points assessed against the
person.  The charges against any person receiving a citation for
a child restraint violation will be dismissed or withdrawn if the
person provides prior to or at a hearing evidence of the
acquisition of a child passenger restraint system or child
booster seat which is satisfactory to the court or the
prosecutor.

ABANDONED VEHICLES

Law enforcement officers may authorize a towing company to
immediately move any vehicle left unattended on any interstate
highway or freeway in an urbanized area.  Currently, a vehicle
must be abandoned for at least four hours.

The substitute has an effective date of January 1, 2006.

FISCAL NOTE:  Estimated Effect on General Revenue Fund of a Cost
of Less than $100,000 to an Income of Unknown in FY 2006, FY
2007, and FY 2008.  Estimated Effect on Other State Funds of an
Income of $0 to a Cost of $147,546 in FY 2006, an Income of $0 in
FY 2007, and an Income of $0 in FY 2008.

Missouri House of Representatives
93rd General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated August 25, 2005 at 1:19 pm