New Jersey-2018-A4383-Introduced

An Act concerning school buses and amending R.S.39:4-88.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. R.S.39:4-88 is amended to read as follows:

39:4-88. When a roadway has been divided into clearly marked lanes for traffic, drivers of vehicles shall obey the following regulations:

a. A vehicle shall normally be driven in the lane nearest the right-hand edge or curb of the roadway when that lane is available for travel, except when overtaking another vehicle or in preparation for a left turn.

b. A vehicle shall be driven as nearly as practicable entirely within a single lane and shall not be moved from that lane until the driver has first ascertained that the movement [can] may be made [with safety] safely.

c. Upon a highway which is divided into [3] three lanes, a vehicle shall not be driven in the center lane except when overtaking or passing another vehicle or in preparation for a left turn or unless the center lane is at the time allocated for traffic moving in the direction the vehicle is proceeding and is signposted to give notice of that allocation.

d. The [State Highway] Commissioner of Transportation may by regulation or local authorities may by resolution or ordinance with respect to highways under their jurisdiction designate right-hand lanes for slow moving traffic and inside lanes for traffic moving at the speed designated for the district as provided under this chapter, and when the lanes are signposted or marked to give notice of the designation a vehicle may be driven in any lane allocated to traffic moving in the direction in which it is proceeding, but when traveling within the inside lanes the vehicle shall be driven at approximately the speed authorized in such lanes and speed shall not be decreased unnecessarily so as to block, hinder, or retard traffic.

e. When such roadway had been divided in such a manner that there are three or more lanes for traffic in any one direction, [no] a truck of 10,000 pounds registered gross weight or over shall not be driven in the farthest left-hand lane, except:

(1) when and to the extent necessary to prepare for a left turn; a truck may be driven in the farthest left lane for up to one mile to prepare for a left [hand] turn as authorized under this paragraph;

(2) when necessary to enter or leave such roadway by entrance or exit to or from the left lane; a truck may be driven in the farthest left lane for up to one mile to prepare to enter or leave the roadway as authorized under this paragraph;

(3) when reasonably necessary in response to emergency conditions; for the purposes of this paragraph, "emergency conditions" shall include, but not be limited to: poor visibility, snow, accidents, or the presence of emergency vehicles.

f. When a roadway has been divided in such a manner that there are two or more lanes for traffic in any one direction, a school bus, as that term is defined in R.S.39:1-1, shall not be driven in the farthest left-hand lane, except:

(1) when and to the extent necessary to prepare for a left turn; a school bus may be driven in the farthest left lane for up to one mile to prepare for a left turn as authorized under this paragraph;

(2) when necessary to enter or leave such roadway by entrance or exit to or from the left lane; a school bus may be driven in the farthest left lane for up to one mile to prepare to enter or leave the roadway as authorized under this paragraph;

(cf: P.L.2013, c.86, s.1)

2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill prohibits a school bus from being driven in the left lane except under certain circumstances. Under the bill, a school bus may be driven in the left lane in preparation for a left turn, when necessary to enter or leave the roadway, and when reasonably necessary in response to emergency conditions.

Pursuant to law, the penalty for failure to comply with the provisions of this bill are: (1) a fine between $100 and $300; and (2) an additional surcharge of $50.