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House File 586 - IntroducedA Bill ForAn Act 1relating to bicyclists’ right-of-way at certain
2crosswalks, and making penalties applicable.
3BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 321.327, subsection 1, Code 2023, is
2amended to read as follows:
31. Where traffic-control signals are not in place
4or in operation, the driver of a vehicle shall yield the
5right-of-way, slowing down or stopping if need be to so yield,
6to a pedestrian or a person riding a bicycle crossing the
7roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked
8crosswalk at an intersection, except as otherwise provided in
9this chapter.
10EXPLANATION
11The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
12the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
13Under current law, a person riding a bicycle (bicyclist)
14on a highway is subject to the provisions of Code chapter 321
15(motor vehicles and law of the road) and has all the rights and
16duties applicable to a driver, except those provisions which
17by their nature have no application and those provisions for
18which specific exceptions have been set forth regarding police
19bicycles (Code section 321.234). In addition, current law
20penalizes certain actions against bicyclists, such as steering
21a vehicle unreasonably close to the bicyclist or projecting an
22object at the bicyclist (Code section 321.281).
23This bill requires a driver to yield the right-of-way to a
24bicyclist crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk,
25or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, in
26the same manner required when yielding to pedestrians where
27traffic-control signals are not in place or in operation.
28A violation of the bill is a simple misdemeanor punishable by
29a $135 scheduled fine. By operation of law, if the violation
30causes a serious injury, a court could impose an additional
31fine of $500 or suspend the person’s driver’s license for not
32more than 90 days, or both. If the violation causes a death, a
33court could impose an additional fine of $1,000 or suspend the
34person’s driver’s license for not more than 180 days, or both
35(Code section 321.482A).
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2crosswalks, and making penalties applicable.
3BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 321.327, subsection 1, Code 2023, is
2amended to read as follows:
31. Where traffic-control signals are not in place
4or in operation, the driver of a vehicle shall yield the
5right-of-way, slowing down or stopping if need be to so yield,
6to a pedestrian or a person riding a bicycle crossing the
7roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked
8crosswalk at an intersection, except as otherwise provided in
9this chapter.
10EXPLANATION
11The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
12the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
13Under current law, a person riding a bicycle (bicyclist)
14on a highway is subject to the provisions of Code chapter 321
15(motor vehicles and law of the road) and has all the rights and
16duties applicable to a driver, except those provisions which
17by their nature have no application and those provisions for
18which specific exceptions have been set forth regarding police
19bicycles (Code section 321.234). In addition, current law
20penalizes certain actions against bicyclists, such as steering
21a vehicle unreasonably close to the bicyclist or projecting an
22object at the bicyclist (Code section 321.281).
23This bill requires a driver to yield the right-of-way to a
24bicyclist crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk,
25or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, in
26the same manner required when yielding to pedestrians where
27traffic-control signals are not in place or in operation.
28A violation of the bill is a simple misdemeanor punishable by
29a $135 scheduled fine. By operation of law, if the violation
30causes a serious injury, a court could impose an additional
31fine of $500 or suspend the person’s driver’s license for not
32more than 90 days, or both. If the violation causes a death, a
33court could impose an additional fine of $1,000 or suspend the
34person’s driver’s license for not more than 180 days, or both
35(Code section 321.482A).
-1-th/ns