Bill Text: NY A07486 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Establishes a motorcycle safety awareness component as a requirement for licensing.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-1)
Status: (Passed) 2017-10-23 - signed chap.355 [A07486 Detail]
Download: New_York-2017-A07486-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7486--A 2017-2018 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY April 27, 2017 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. CRESPO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to requirements for licensing The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 4 of section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law 2 is amended by adding a new paragraph (c-3) to read as follows: 3 (c-3) "Motorcycle Safety" awareness component. The commissioner shall 4 provide in the pre-licensing course, set forth in paragraph (b) of this 5 subdivision, a mandatory component in "Motorcycle Safety" awareness 6 education as a prerequisite for obtaining a license to operate a motor 7 vehicle. The purpose of the component is to educate prospective licen- 8 sees on the potential dangers to persons operating motorcycles on the 9 roadway. 10 § 2. Subparagraph (i) of paragraph (a), and paragraphs (b) and (d) of 11 subdivision 4 of section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law, subpara- 12 graph (i) of paragraph (a) as amended by chapter 97 of the laws of 2016, 13 paragraphs (b) and (d) as amended by chapter 585 of the laws of 2002, 14 are amended to read as follows: 15 (i) Upon submission of an application for a driver's license, the 16 applicant shall be required to take and pass a test, or submit evidence 17 of passage of a test, with respect to the laws relating to traffic, the 18 laws relating to driving while ability is impaired and while intoxicat- 19 ed, under the overpowering influence of "Road Rage", [or] "Work Zone 20 Safety" awareness and "Motorcycle Safety" awareness as defined by the 21 commissioner, the law relating to exercising due care to avoid colliding 22 with a parked, stopped or standing authorized emergency vehicle or 23 hazard vehicle pursuant to section eleven hundred forty-four-a of this 24 chapter, the ability to read and comprehend traffic signs and symbols 25 and such other matters as the commissioner may prescribe, and to satis- 26 factorily complete a course prescribed by the commissioner of not less 27 than four hours and not more than five hours, consisting of classroom EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD07622-03-7A. 7486--A 2 1 driver training and highway safety instruction or the equivalent there- 2 of. Such test shall include at least seven written questions concerning 3 the effects of consumption of alcohol or drugs on the ability of a 4 person to operate a motor vehicle and the legal and financial conse- 5 quences resulting from violations of section eleven hundred ninety-two 6 of this chapter, prohibiting the operation of a motor vehicle while 7 under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Such test shall include one or 8 more written questions concerning the devastating effects of "Road Rage" 9 on the ability of a person to operate a motor vehicle and the legal and 10 financial consequences resulting from assaulting, threatening or inter- 11 fering with the lawful conduct of another person legally using the road- 12 way. Such test shall include one or more questions concerning the poten- 13 tial dangers to persons and equipment resulting from the unsafe 14 operation of a motor vehicle in a work zone. Such test may include one 15 or more questions concerning motorcycle safety. Such test may include 16 one or more questions concerning the law for exercising due care to 17 avoid colliding with a parked, stopped or standing vehicle pursuant to 18 section eleven hundred forty-four-a of this chapter. Such test shall be 19 administered by the commissioner. The commissioner shall cause the 20 applicant to take a vision test and a test for color blindness. Upon 21 passage of the vision test, the application may be accepted and the 22 application fee shall be payable. 23 (b) Upon successful completion of the requirements set forth in para- 24 graph (a) of this subdivision which shall include an alcohol and drug 25 education component as described in paragraph (c) of this subdivision, a 26 "Road Rage" awareness component as described in paragraph (c-1) of this 27 subdivision and a "Work Zone Safety" awareness component as described in 28 paragraph (c-2) of this subdivision, and a "Motorcycle Safety" awareness 29 component as described in paragraph (c-3) of this subdivision the 30 commissioner shall cause the applicant to take a road test in a repre- 31 sentative vehicle of a type prescribed by the commissioner which shall 32 be appropriate to the type of license for which application is made, 33 except that the commissioner may waive the road test requirements for 34 certain classes of applicants. The commissioner shall have the power to 35 establish a program to allow persons other than employees of the depart- 36 ment to conduct road tests in representative vehicles when such tests 37 are required for applicants to obtain a class A, B or C license. If she 38 chooses to do so, she shall set forth her reasons in writing and conduct 39 a public hearing on the matter. She shall only establish such a program 40 after holding the public hearing. 41 (d) The commissioner shall make available for distribution upon regis- 42 tration at each location where the pre-licensing course will be given, 43 instructional handbooks outlining the content of the entire curriculum 44 of the pre-licensing course including the information required to be 45 included in the course pursuant to paragraphs (c), (c-1) [and], (c-2) 46 and (c-3) of this subdivision. The commissioner shall also provide for 47 the additional training of the instructors necessary for the competent 48 instruction of the alcohol and drug education [and], "Road Rage" aware- 49 ness [and], "Work Zone Safety" awareness and "Motorcycle Safety" aware- 50 ness subject matters of the pre-licensing course. 51 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after 52 it shall have become a law provided that, effective immediately, the 53 commissioner of motor vehicles is authorized to promulgate such rules 54 and regulations as he or she deems necessary to effectuate the 55 provisions of this act on such date.
