HF 1540

1st Engrossment - 80th Legislature (1997 - 1998) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to traffic regulations; requiring drivers to 
  1.3             reduce speed when approaching authorized emergency 
  1.4             vehicles stopped on the roadway or shoulder; 
  1.5             increasing certain speed limits; amending Minnesota 
  1.6             Statutes 1996, sections 169.14, subdivisions 2 and 3; 
  1.7             and 169.17; repealing Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 
  1.8             169.14, subdivision 4a. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 169.14, 
  1.11  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  1.12     Subd. 2.  [SPEED LIMITS.] (a) Where no special hazard 
  1.13  exists the following speeds shall be lawful, but any speeds in 
  1.14  excess of such limits shall be prima facie evidence that the 
  1.15  speed is not reasonable or prudent and that it is unlawful; 
  1.16  except that the speed limit within any municipality shall be a 
  1.17  maximum limit and any speed in excess thereof shall be unlawful: 
  1.18     (1) 30 miles per hour in an urban district; 
  1.19     (2) 65 70 miles per hour on freeways and expressways, as 
  1.20  defined in section 160.02, subdivision 16, outside the limits of 
  1.21  any urbanized area with a population of greater than 50,000 as 
  1.22  defined by order of the commissioner of transportation; 
  1.23     (3) 55 miles per hour in locations other than those 
  1.24  specified in this section; 
  1.25     (4) ten miles per hour in alleys; and 
  1.26     (5) 25 miles per hour in residential roadways if adopted by 
  1.27  the road authority having jurisdiction over the residential 
  2.1   roadway.  
  2.2      (b) A speed limit adopted under paragraph (a), clause (5), 
  2.3   is not effective unless the road authority has erected signs 
  2.4   designating the speed limit and indicating the beginning and end 
  2.5   of the residential roadway on which the speed limit applies. 
  2.6      Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 169.14, 
  2.7   subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  2.8      Subd. 3.  [REDUCED SPEED REQUIRED.] (a) The driver of any 
  2.9   vehicle shall, consistent with the requirements, drive at an 
  2.10  appropriate reduced speed when approaching or passing an 
  2.11  authorized emergency vehicle stopped with emergency lights 
  2.12  flashing on any street or highway, when approaching and crossing 
  2.13  an intersection or railway grade crossing, when approaching and 
  2.14  going around a curve, when approaching a hill crest, when 
  2.15  traveling upon any narrow or winding roadway, and when special 
  2.16  hazards exist with respect to pedestrians or other traffic or by 
  2.17  reason of weather or highway conditions.  
  2.18     (b) A person who fails to reduce speed appropriately when 
  2.19  approaching or passing an authorized emergency vehicle stopped 
  2.20  with emergency lights flashing on a street or highway shall be 
  2.21  assessed an additional surcharge equal to the amount of the fine 
  2.22  imposed for the speed violation, but not less than $25. 
  2.23     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 169.17, is 
  2.24  amended to read: 
  2.25     169.17 [EMERGENCY VEHICLES.] 
  2.26     The speed limitations set forth in sections 169.14 to 
  2.27  169.17 do not apply to authorized emergency vehicles when 
  2.28  responding to emergency calls, but the drivers thereof shall 
  2.29  sound audible signal by siren and display at least one lighted 
  2.30  red light to the front.  However, a law enforcement vehicle 
  2.31  responding to an emergency call shall sound either an audible 
  2.32  signal by siren or display at least one lighted red light to the 
  2.33  front.  This provision does not relieve the driver of an 
  2.34  authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due 
  2.35  regard for the safety of persons using the street, nor does it 
  2.36  protect the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the 
  3.1   consequence of a reckless disregard of the safety of others.  
  3.2      Sec. 4.  [SPEED LIMIT; INTERSTATE 35-E.] 
  3.3      The commissioner of transportation shall establish a speed 
  3.4   limit of 55 miles per hour on marked interstate highway No. 
  3.5   35-E, from its intersection with marked interstate highway No. 
  3.6   94 to its intersection with West Seventh Street in the city of 
  3.7   St. Paul. 
  3.8      Sec. 5.  [REPEALER.] 
  3.9      Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 169.14, subdivision 4a, is 
  3.10  repealed.  Any order of the commissioner of transportation 
  3.11  issued under that subdivision is void.