First

Session, 47th General Assembly

Elizabeth II, 2013

BILL 59

AN ACT TO AMEND THE

HIGHWAY

TRAFFIC ACT NO. 2

Received and Read the First Time ...................................................................................................

Second Reading .................................................................................................................................

Committee ............................................................................................................................................

Third Reading .....................................................................................................................................

Royal Assent ......................................................................................................................................

HONOURABLE

NICK MCGRATH

Minister

of Service Newfoundland and Labrador

Ordered

to be printed by the Honourable House of Assembly

EXPLANATORY NOTES

This Bill would amend the Highway Traffic Act , effective April 1,

2013, to

require drivers to reduce speed

and move over when passing an emergency vehicle or designated vehicle that is

stopped on or along a roadway; and

introduce associated penalties.

A BILL

AN ACT TO AMEND THE HIGHWAY

TRAFFIC ACT NO. 2

Analysis

S.121.1 Added

Stopped emergency or designated vehicle

Sch. Amdt.

Commencement

Be it enacted by the Lieutenant-Governor and

House of Assembly in Legislative Session convened, as follows:

RSNL1990 cH-3

as amended

1. The Highway

Traffic Act is amended by adding immediately after

section 121 the

following:

Stopped emergency

or designated vehicle

121.1

(1) Upon

approaching an emergency vehicle or a designated vehicle that is stopped in a

lane or on the edge or along the shoulder of the roadway, the driver of a

vehicle travelling in the same direction shall take the safety precautions set

out in subsection (2).

(2) The driver shall

(

a) reduce speed and, if necessary, stop;

(

b) pass the emergency vehicle or designated

vehicle only if it is safe to do so; and

(

c) change lanes if there is another lane for

travelling in the same direction, or otherwise place as much distance as possible

in the same lane between his or her vehicle and the emergency vehicle or

designated vehicle, only if it is safe to do so.

(3) The reference in subsection (1) to an

emergency vehicle or designated vehicle is a reference to an emergency vehicle

or designated vehicle that has flashing or rotational lights activated or other

warning or safety signs or equipment in use.

(4) In this section, "designated

vehicle" means

(

a) a tow truck or other roadside assistance

vehicle;

(

b) a search and rescue vehicle;

(

c) a public utility vehicle;

(

d) a municipal, provincial or federal enforcement

or service vehicle;

(

e) a vehicle used by a volunteer fire fighter or

emergency medical responder in the course of responding to an emergency; or

(

f) a vehicle operated under the authority of a

government emergency organization in the course of responding to an emergency.

2. The

Schedule to the Act is amended by adding

immediately after the row starting with a reference to

section 121 the

following:

121.1

Failure

to reduce speed and comply with

section 121.1 when approaching a stopped

emergency vehicle or designated vehicle

30 days

6 days

Commencement

3. This Act comes into force on April 1, 2013.

Queen's Printer