HF 214 (LSB 1783YH (2) 90)

HOUSE FILE 214

BY  GERHOLD

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to bicyclists’ right-of-way at certain crosswalks, and making penalties applicable.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 321.327, subsection 1, Code 2023, is amended to read as follows:
   1.  Where traffic-control signals are not in place or in operation, the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way, slowing down or stopping if need be to so yield, to a pedestrian or a person riding a bicycle crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, except as otherwise provided in this chapter.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   Under current law, a person riding a bicycle (bicyclist) on a highway is subject to the provisions of Code chapter 321 (motor vehicles and law of the road) and has all the rights and duties applicable to a driver, except those provisions which by their nature have no application and those provisions for which specific exceptions have been set forth regarding police bicycles (Code section 321.234). In addition, current law penalizes certain actions against bicyclists, such as steering a vehicle unreasonably close to the bicyclist or projecting an object at the bicyclist (Code section 321.281).
   This bill requires a driver to yield the right-of-way to a bicyclist crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk, or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, in the same manner required when yielding to pedestrians where traffic-control signals are not in place or in operation.
   A violation of the bill is a simple misdemeanor punishable by a $135 scheduled fine. By operation of law, if the violation causes a serious injury, a court could impose an additional fine of $500 or suspend the person’s driver’s license for not more than 90 days, or both. If the violation causes a death, a court could impose an additional fine of $1,000 or suspend the person’s driver’s license for not more than 180 days, or both (Code section 321.482A).