SENATE BILL NO. 233 Offered January 11, 2006 Prefiled January 10, 2006 A BILL to amend and reenact § 46.2-924 of the Code of Virginia, relating to stopping for pedestrians; penalty. ---------- Patrons-- Ticer and Cuccinelli; Delegates: Moran, Scott, J.M. and Sickles ---------- Referred to Committee on Transportation ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That § 46.2-924 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 46.2-924. Drivers to stop for pedestrians; installation of certain signs; penalty.

A. The driver of any vehicle on a highway shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian crossing such highway:

1. At any clearly marked crosswalk, whether at mid-block or at the end of any block;

2. At any regular pedestrian crossing included in the prolongation of the lateral boundary lines of the adjacent sidewalk at the end of a block;

3. At any intersection when the driver is approaching on a highway or street where the legal maximum speed does not exceed 35 miles per hour.The driver of any vehicle on a highway or street where the legal maximum speed does not exceed 35 miles per hour shall stop for any pedestrian who is crossing the highway or street at any clearly marked crosswalk.

B. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection A of this section, at intersections or crosswalks where the movement of traffic is being regulated by law-enforcement officers or traffic control devices, the driver shall yield according to the direction of the law-enforcement officer or device.

No pedestrian shall enter or cross an intersection in disregard of approaching traffic.

The drivers of vehicles entering, crossing, or turning at intersections shall change their course, slow down, or stop if necessary to permit pedestrians to cross such intersections safely and expeditiously.

Pedestrians crossing highways at intersections shall at all times have the right-of-way over vehicles making turns into the highways being crossed by the pedestrians.

C. The governing body of any county having the urban county executive form of government, any county having the county manager plan of government, the City of Fairfax, the County of Loudoun and any town therein, and any city with a population between 110,000 and 115,000, may by ordinance provide for the installation and maintenance of highway signs at marked crosswalks specifically requiring operators of motor vehicles, at the locations where such signs are installed, to yield the right-of-way to stop for pedestrians crossing or attempting to cross the highway. Any operator of a motor vehicle who fails at such locations to yield the right-of-way to stop for pedestrians as required by such signs shall be guilty of a traffic infraction punishable by a fine of no less than $100 or more than $500. The Commonwealth Transportation Board shall develop criteria for the design, location, and installation of such signs. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any limited access highway.