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New Traffic Laws

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From the don�t-do-this category
The 2005 Oregon Legislature toughened the consequences for stealing gasoline amid a summer of high fuel prices. House Bill 2937 allows courts to suspend a driver�s license for up to six months upon conviction of theft of gasoline.

New Laws for drivers help keep pedestrians and cyclists safe
(posted Jan 5, 2006)

Senate Bill 591 passed by the 2005 Oregon legislature will make turning easier for drivers at intersections with traffic signals and pedestrians crossing.

The bill, which takes effect Jan 1, creates an exception to the one-lane buffer law that took effect in 2004, requiring motorists to stop and wait until a pedestrian crosses both the driver's lane and the adjacent lane before proceeding. SB 591 allows motorists to make a turn at a signaled intersection once the pedestrian is six feet across the adjacent lane, rather than across the entire adjacent lane. That's slightly more than the width of a typical car. The six-foot buffer is intended to give pedestrians space for a safe crossing without forcing a motorist to wait until the person crosses an entire two-lane street, for example.

SB591 also clarified the definition of "adjacent lane". Parking spaces and bicycle lanes are considered part of the lane of traffic. In other words, a driver must wait for a pedestrian to cross the vehicle lane and any bike or parking segment along the lane of traffic.

Under Oregon law, a crosswalk exists at any public street intersection whether marked with paint or unmarked. Crosswalks also exist between intersections (mid-block) where indicated with white paint.

At a traffic signal, drivers must:

Stop and remain stopped for pedestrians until they have cleared the lane in which the driver is traveling and the adjacent lane.
Stop and remain stopped for pedestrians until they have cleared the lane into which the vehicle is turning and at least 6 feet of the adjacent lane.

At any other crosswalk - those without a signal - drivers must:

Stop and remain stopped for pedestrians until they have cleared the lane in which the driver is traveling and the adjacent lane.
Stop and remain stopped for pedestrians until they have cleared the lane into which the driver's vehicle is turning and the adjacent lane.
Stop and remain stopped for students crossing (or about to cross) a street under the direction of a crossing guard.
Stop and remain stopped for a blind or blind and a deaf pedestrian using a cane or a guide dog, until the pedestrian is completely across the roadway.

BICYCLISTS:
Senate Bill 938 also addressed by the 2005 Legislature concerns the safety of bicyclists. Drivers making a right turn must yield to bicyclists passing on the right. In fact, when making either a left or right turn, drivers must yield to bicyclists traveling straight.

SB 938 also permits bicyclists to travel outside a bicycle lane in order to avoid unsafe conditions such as debris.

SCHOOL ZONES:
HB 2840, passed in the 2005 Legislative Session, requires a 20 mph speed between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. on days when school is in session and when school zone lights are flashing on roads and streets adjacent to schools. The bill also addresses school zones on roadways that are not adjacent to a school by requiring a 20 mph speed when a flashing light is in operation or "when children are present" as defined in ORS 811.124.

The law is effective July 1, 2006. Any necessary sign changes are to be made between July 1 and the beginning of the 2006-07 school year. Some flashing yellow light systems will be installed throughout the State - Tigard has one on SW Walnut for C.F. Tigard elementary. More lights may be installed if funding is available.

Although the law has been changed, until the signs are changed, those that are posted are still in effect.

Bottom line, common sense approach: When you pass through a school zone - SLOW DOWN.

Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles:

Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles Website: Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles
Additional information is available on the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles news page: www.oregon.gov/ODOT/DMV/news/