Bill Text: IA HF494 | 2021-2022 | 89th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to the operation of motor vehicles in the left-most lane of certain roadways, and making penalties applicable.(Formerly HF 157.)
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-04-15 - Referred to Transportation. H.J. 964. [HF494 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2021-HF494-Introduced.html
House
File
494
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
494
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
TRANSPORTATION
(SUCCESSOR
TO
HF
157)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
the
operation
of
motor
vehicles
in
the
1
left-most
lane
of
certain
roadways,
and
making
penalties
2
applicable.
3
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
4
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Section
1.
Section
321.233,
Code
2021,
is
amended
to
read
1
as
follows:
2
321.233
Road
workers
exempted.
3
This
chapter
,
except
sections
321.277
and
321.280
,
does
4
not
apply
to
persons
and
motor
vehicles
and
other
equipment
5
while
actually
engaged
in
work
upon
the
surface
of
a
highway
6
officially
closed
to
traffic
but
does
apply
to
such
persons
7
and
vehicles
when
traveling
to
or
from
such
work.
The
minimum
8
speed
restriction
of
section
321.285,
subsection
5
,
and
the
9
provisions
of
sections
321.297
,
and
321.298
,
section
321.299,
10
subsection
3,
and
section
321.323
do
not
apply
to
road
workers
11
operating
maintenance
equipment
on
behalf
of
any
state
or
local
12
authority
while
engaged
in
road
maintenance,
road
blading,
snow
13
and
ice
control
and
removal,
and
granular
resurfacing
work
on
a
14
highway,
whether
or
not
the
highway
is
closed
to
traffic.
15
Sec.
2.
Section
321.299,
Code
2021,
is
amended
by
adding
the
16
following
new
subsection:
17
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
3.
a.
Notwithstanding
the
exception
18
in
subsection
2,
a
person
operating
a
motor
vehicle
in
the
19
left-most
lane
of
a
roadway
who
knows
or
reasonably
should
20
know
that
another
vehicle
will
be
overtaking
the
person’s
21
vehicle
from
the
rear
shall
not
continue
to
operate
the
22
vehicle
in
the
left-most
lane
and
shall
make
a
lane
change
23
into
the
lane
to
the
immediate
right
of
the
left-most
lane.
24
This
subsection
applies
to
persons
operating
motor
vehicles
25
on
roadways
having
two
or
more
lanes
designated
for
traffic
26
traveling
in
one
direction
and
two
or
more
lanes
designated
for
27
traffic
traveling
in
the
opposite
direction.
For
purposes
of
28
this
subsection,
“left-most
lane”
means
the
lane
of
a
roadway
29
designated
for
traffic
traveling
in
any
one
direction
that
is
30
farthest
to
the
left,
and
does
not
include
any
lane
designated
31
for
traffic
traveling
in
the
opposite
direction.
32
b.
This
subsection
does
not
apply
under
any
of
the
following
33
circumstances:
34
(1)
When
the
person
is
overtaking
or
passing
another
vehicle
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operating
in
the
lane
to
the
immediate
right
of
the
left-most
1
lane.
2
(2)
When
traffic
conditions,
inclement
weather,
3
obstructions,
or
hazards
make
it
necessary
to
operate
the
4
vehicle
in
the
left-most
lane.
5
(3)
When
a
law,
regulation,
ordinance,
official
6
traffic-control
device,
or
direction
from
a
peace
officer
7
requires
the
person
to
operate
the
vehicle
in
the
left-most
8
lane.
9
(4)
When
the
person
is
exiting
the
roadway
or
turning
to
the
10
left
in
compliance
with
this
chapter.
11
(5)
When
the
person
is
operating
an
authorized
emergency
12
vehicle
in
the
course
of
the
person’s
duties.
13
EXPLANATION
14
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
15
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
16
Under
current
law,
Code
section
321.297
requires
a
vehicle
17
proceeding
at
less
than
the
normal
speed
of
traffic
at
the
time
18
and
place
and
under
the
conditions
then
existing
to
be
driven
19
in
the
right-hand
lane
then
available
for
traffic
upon
all
20
roadways,
or
as
close
as
practicable
to
the
right-hand
curb
or
21
edge
of
the
roadway,
except
when
overtaking
and
passing
another
22
vehicle
proceeding
in
the
same
direction
or
when
preparing
23
for
a
left
turn.
Code
section
321.299
requires
the
driver
of
24
a
vehicle
being
overtaken
by
another
vehicle
proceeding
in
25
the
same
direction
to
give
way
to
the
right
in
favor
of
the
26
overtaking
vehicle
and
prohibits
the
driver
from
increasing
27
the
speed
of
the
overtaken
vehicle
until
completely
passed
by
28
the
overtaking
vehicle.
This
provision
does
not
apply
when
29
overtaking
and
passing
on
the
right
is
permitted.
Code
section
30
321.302
authorizes
overtaking
and
passing
on
the
right
on
31
roadways
of
sufficient
width
for
two
or
more
lines
of
traffic
32
moving
in
the
same
direction
when
the
overtaken
vehicle
is
33
making
or
about
to
make
a
left
turn.
Code
section
321.302
also
34
authorizes
overtaking
and
passing
on
the
right
on
roadways
of
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sufficient
width
for
four
or
more
lines
of
moving
traffic.
1
This
bill
prohibits
a
person
operating
a
motor
vehicle
in
the
2
left-most
lane
of
a
roadway
who
knows
or
reasonably
should
know
3
that
another
vehicle
will
be
overtaking
the
person’s
vehicle
4
from
the
rear
from
continuing
to
operate
the
vehicle
in
the
5
left-most
lane
and
requires
the
person
to
make
a
lane
change
6
into
the
lane
to
the
immediate
right
of
the
left-most
lane.
7
The
exception
to
Code
section
321.299(2),
allowing
the
driver
8
of
an
overtaken
vehicle
to
fail
to
give
way
to
the
right
in
9
favor
of
the
overtaking
vehicle
when
overtaking
and
passing
on
10
the
right
is
permitted,
is
not
applicable
to
the
provisions
of
11
the
bill.
The
bill
applies
to
persons
operating
motor
vehicles
12
on
roadways
having
two
or
more
lanes
designated
for
traffic
13
traveling
in
one
direction
and
two
or
more
lanes
designated
14
for
traffic
traveling
in
the
opposite
direction.
For
purposes
15
of
the
bill,
“left-most
lane”
means
the
lane
of
a
roadway
16
designated
for
traffic
traveling
in
any
one
direction
that
is
17
farthest
to
the
left,
and
does
not
include
any
lane
designated
18
for
traffic
traveling
in
the
opposite
direction.
19
The
bill
exempts
persons
from
the
requirements
of
the
bill
20
under
certain
circumstances,
including
when
the
person
is
21
overtaking
or
passing
another
vehicle
operating
in
the
lane
22
to
the
immediate
right
of
the
left-most
lane;
when
traffic
23
conditions,
inclement
weather,
obstructions,
or
hazards
make
24
it
necessary
to
operate
the
vehicle
in
the
left-most
lane;
25
when
a
law,
regulation,
ordinance,
official
traffic-control
26
device,
or
direction
from
a
peace
officer
requires
the
person
27
to
operate
the
vehicle
in
the
left-most
lane;
when
the
person
28
is
exiting
the
roadway
or
turning
to
the
left;
when
the
person
29
is
operating
an
authorized
emergency
vehicle
in
the
course
30
of
the
person’s
duties;
and
when
road
workers
are
operating
31
maintenance
equipment
on
behalf
of
any
state
or
local
authority
32
while
engaged
in
road
maintenance,
road
blading,
snow
and
33
ice
control
and
removal,
and
granular
resurfacing
work
on
a
34
highway.
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By
operation
of
law,
a
violation
of
the
bill
is
punishable
1
by
a
scheduled
fine
of
$135.
The
violation
is
also
subject
2
to
additional
penalties
under
Code
section
321.482A
if
the
3
violation
causes
serious
injury
or
death.
For
a
violation
4
causing
serious
injury,
the
additional
penalties
include
a
fine
5
of
$500
or
suspension
of
the
violator’s
driver’s
license
and
6
operating
privileges
for
not
more
than
90
days,
or
both.
For
7
a
violation
causing
death,
the
additional
penalties
include
a
8
fine
of
$1,000
or
suspension
of
the
violator’s
driver’s
license
9
or
operating
privileges
for
not
more
than
180
days,
or
both.
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