This bill amends Nebraska's motor vehicle laws to improve traffic safety and enforcement, introducing new definitions for terms like "highway work zone" and "speed control enforcement system." It empowers the Department of Transportation to temporarily reduce speed limits during adverse conditions and requires clear communication of these changes to drivers via electronic signage. The bill also allows for the enforcement of speed limits in school crossing and highway work zones using speed control systems, while providing immunity from liability for peace officers and Department of Transportation agents when removing obstructions from highways. Additionally, it establishes penalties for speeding violations detected by these systems and creates a rebuttable presumption that the registered vehicle owner was operating the vehicle at the time of the violation.

Moreover, the legislation emphasizes the confidentiality of images and data captured by speed control systems, allowing their use only for specific purposes by the Department of Transportation or local authorities, barring court-ordered disclosures. It mandates annual calibration checks for these systems and requires operators to maintain daily logs. The bill also modifies regulations regarding the approach to stopped vehicles on controlled-access highways, clarifying the cautious behavior required from drivers. It restricts the use of automatic license plate reader systems to law enforcement under certain conditions and includes provisions ensuring the validity of its sections, stating that if any part is found unconstitutional, the remaining sections will still be effective. Lastly, it repeals certain existing statutes that are now rendered obsolete by the new provisions.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 60-601, 60-605, 60-696, 60-3203