Establishes a motorcycle safety awareness component as a requirement for licensing.

Sponsor: RITCHIE / Co-sponsor(s): PARKER / Committee: TRANSPORTATION
Law Section: Vehicle and Traffic Law / Law: Amd S502, V & T L

S7138-2011 Actions

May 31, 2012: referred to transportation
May 31, 2012: DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
May 31, 2012: PASSED SENATE
May 21, 2012: ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
May 16, 2012: 2ND REPORT CAL.
May 15, 2012: 1ST REPORT CAL.779
May 1, 2012: REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION

S7138-2011 Meetings

Transportation: May 15, 2012

S7138-2011 Calendars

Active List: May 31, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 16, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 21, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 22, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 23, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 30, 2012 , Floor Calendar: May 31, 2012

S7138-2011 Votes

VOTE: COMMITTEE VOTE: - Transportation - May 15, 2012

Ayes (15): Fuschillo, Johnson, Larkin, Maziarz, McDonald, Nozzolio, Ranzenhofer, Robach, Young, Zeldin, Dilan, Diaz, Perkins, Squadron, Valesky
Ayes W/R (4): Adams, Kennedy, Smith, Stavisky

VOTE: FLOOR VOTE: - May 31, 2012

Ayes (57): Adams, Addabbo, Alesi, Avella, Ball, Bonacic, Breslin, Carlucci, DeFrancisco, Dilan, Duane, Espaillat, Farley, Flanagan, Fuschillo, Gallivan, Gianaris, Golden, Griffo, Grisanti, Hannon, Huntley, Kennedy, Klein, Krueger, Lanza, Larkin, LaValle, Libous, Little, Marcellino, Martins, Maziarz, McDonald, Montgomery, Nozzolio, O'Mara, Oppenheimer, Parker, Peralta, Perkins, Ranzenhofer, Ritchie, Rivera, Robach, Saland, Sampson, Savino, Serrano, Seward, Skelos, Smith, Squadron, Stewart-Cousin, Valesky, Young, Zeldin
Excused (4): Diaz, Hassell-Thomps, Johnson, Stavisky

S7138-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S7138

TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to requirements
for licensing

PURPOSE:
To require motorcycle safety and awareness be part of the mandatory
pre-licensing course and testing required of new drivers, in order to
educate such drivers as to the potential dangers to persons operating
motorcycles on our roads.

SUMMARY:
Section 1 adds a new paragraph c-3 to subdivision 4 of section 502 of
the vehicle and traffic law to add a motorcycle safety and awareness
component to the mandatory five hour pre-licensing class required of all
new drivers.

Section 2 also amends section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law to add
motorcycle safety awareness questions to the written test required to be
passed by new drivers in the state.

Section 3 provides the effective date.

JUSTIFICATION:
Motorcycle crashes often occur because of the failure of other drivers'
awareness of motorcycle traffic on the road. Including motorcycle safety
and awareness as components of the pre-licensing education and testing
of new drivers will help to prevent motorcycle crashes, injuries and
fatalities caused by drivers who share the road with motorcycle traffic.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.

FISCAL IMPACT:
None. The pre-licensing course and written test are already in place.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.

S7138-2011 Text

 S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 
                                          7138
 I N  SENATE
 May 1, 2012
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. RITCHIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
 

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:

 

Section 1. Subdivision 4 of section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law
 is amended by adding a new paragraph (c-3) to read as follows:

 (C-3)  "MOTORCYCLE SAFETY" AWARENESS COMPONENT. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL
 PROVIDE IN THE PRE-LICENSING COURSE, SET FORTH IN PARAGRAPH (B) OF  THIS
 SUBDIVISION,  A  MANDATORY  COMPONENT  IN  "MOTORCYCLE SAFETY" AWARENESS
 EDUCATION AS A PREREQUISITE FOR OBTAINING A LICENSE TO OPERATE  A  MOTOR
 VEHICLE.  THE  PURPOSE OF THE COMPONENT IS TO EDUCATE PROSPECTIVE LICEN
 SEES ON THE POTENTIAL DANGERS TO PERSONS OPERATING  MOTORCYCLES  ON  THE
 ROADWAY.
 

S 2. Subparagraph (i) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 4 of section 502
 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chapter 458 of the laws of
 2011, is amended to read as follows:

 (i)  Upon  submission  of  an  application for a driver's license, the
 applicant shall be required to take and pass a test, or submit  evidence
 of  passage of a test, with respect to the laws relating to traffic, the
 laws relating to driving while ability is impaired and while  intoxicat
 ed,  under  the  overpowering  influence of "Road Rage", [or] "Work Zone
 Safety" awareness AND "MOTORCYCLE SAFETY" AWARENESS as  defined  by  the
 commissioner, the law relating to exercising due care to avoid colliding
 with  a  parked,  stopped  or  standing  authorized emergency vehicle or
 hazard vehicle pursuant to section eleven hundred forty-four-a  of  this
 chapter,  the  ability  to read and comprehend traffic signs and symbols
 and such other matters as the commissioner may prescribe, and to  satis
 factorily  complete  a course prescribed by the commissioner of not less
 than four hours and not more than five hours,  consisting  of  classroom
 driver  training and highway safety instruction or the equivalent there
 of. Such test shall include at least seven written questions  concerning
 the  effects  of  consumption  of  alcohol  or drugs on the ability of a
 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD15218-02-2
        S. 7138                             2
 person to operate a motor vehicle and the  legal  and  financial  conse
 quences  resulting  from violations of section eleven hundred ninety-two
 of this chapter, prohibiting the operation  of  a  motor  vehicle  while
 under  the influence of alcohol or drugs. Such test shall include one or
 more written questions concerning the devastating effects of "Road Rage"
 on the ability of a person to operate a motor vehicle and the legal  and
 financial  consequences resulting from assaulting, threatening or inter
 fering with the lawful conduct of another person legally using the road
 way. Such test shall include one or more questions concerning the poten
 tial  dangers  to  persons  and  equipment  resulting  from  the  unsafe
 operation of a motor vehicle in a work zone. SUCH TEST SHALL INCLUDE ONE
 OR  MORE QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE POTENTIAL DANGERS TO PERSONS OPERATING
 MOTORCYCLES ON THE ROAD. Such test may include  one  or  more  questions
 concerning  the  law  for  exercising due care to avoid colliding with a
 parked, stopped or standing authorized emergency vehicle or hazard vehi
 cle pursuant to section eleven hundred  forty-four-a  of  this  chapter.
 Such  test  shall  be administered by the commissioner. The commissioner
 shall cause the applicant to take a vision test and  a  test  for  color
 blindness.  Upon  passage  of  the  vision  test, the application may be
 accepted and the application fee shall be payable.
 

S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

S7138-2011: Establishes a motorcycle safety awareness component as a requirement for licensing