Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

H.B. 138
                          GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
                                                                                               Feb 16, 2023
                                      SESSION 2023                                       HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK
     H                                                                                                  D
                                     HOUSE BILL DRH40068-NE-81
     Short Title:   Failure to Yield to Blind Pedestrians/Penalty.                                (Public)
     Sponsors:      Representative Morey.
     Referred to:
 1                                         A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 2   AN ACT CLARIFYING THAT FAILURE TO YIELD THE RIGHT-OF-WAY TO A BLIND
 3       OR PARTIALLY BLIND PEDESTRIAN UNDER G.S. 20-175.2 IS A CLASS 2
 4       MISDEMEANOR.
 5   The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
 6                SECTION 1. G.S. 20-175.2 reads as rewritten:
 7   "§ 20-175.2. Right-of-way at crossings, intersections and traffic-control signal points; white
 8                cane or guide dog to serve as signal for the blind.
 9       At any street, road or highway crossing or intersection, where the movement of traffic is not
10   regulated by a traffic officer or by traffic-control signals, any blind or partially blind pedestrian
11   shall be entitled to the right-of-way at such crossing or intersection, if such blind or partially
12   blind pedestrian shall extend before him at arm's length a cane white in color or white tipped with
13   red, or if such person is accompanied by a guide dog. Upon receiving such a signal, all vehicles
14   at or approaching such intersection or crossing shall come to a full stop, leaving a clear lane
15   through which such pedestrian may pass, and such vehicle shall remain stationary until such blind
16   or partially blind pedestrian has completed the passage of such crossing or intersection. At any
17   street, road or highway crossing or intersection, where the movement of traffic is regulated by
18   traffic-control signals, blind or partially blind pedestrians shall be entitled to the right-of-way if
19   such person having such cane or accompanied by a guide dog shall be partly across such crossing
20   or intersection at the time the traffic-control signals change, and all vehicles shall stop and remain
21   stationary until such pedestrian has completed passage across the intersection or crossing. Any
22   person who fails to yield the right-of-way to a blind or partially blind pedestrian as required by
23   this section is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor."
24                SECTION 2. This act becomes effective December 1, 2023, and applies to offenses
25   committed on or after that date.
                                     *DRH40068-NE-81*
Statutes affected: 
Filed: 20-175.2
Edition 1: 20-175.2
Edition 2: 20-175.2