GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1997

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 1242

Short Title:  Study Truck Safety.	(Public)

─────────────────────────────────────── 
Sponsors: Transportation Committee; and Luebke.

─────────────────────────────────────── 
Referred to:  Rules, Calendar and Operations of the House.

─────────────────────────────────────── 

July 21, 1997

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE STUDY OF CERTAIN TRUCK SAFETY RELATED PROVISIONS BY THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE TRANSPORTATION OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  The Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee shall study the issue of truck width and length, including the effect on highway safety and traffic engineering.  The Committee shall consider all potential effects of allowing industry standard tractor/single trailer combinations of up to 68 feet in total length on additional highways of the State.
Section 2.  The Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee shall study ways to improve the safety of the operation of trucks in North Carolina and to increase the safety of tires on all motor vehicles.  The study shall examine the following issues:
(1)	Truck inspection violations, including operation of a truck without a required inspection sticker.  The Committee shall study means of removing unsafe vehicles from the public roads, including authorizing law enforcement officers to order that a vehicle be towed from the highway if the officer determines that the continued operation of the vehicle would constitute a hazard to the motoring public;
(2)	Increased penalties for brake safety violations, including strengthening penalties for second or subsequent offenses;
(3)	The need for additional inspectors to follow up on truck safety violations;
(4)	Measures necessary to ensure that trucks and other vehicles are equipped with tires that are safe for the operation of the motor vehicle and that do not expose the public to needless hazard;
(5)	The potential benefit of a commercial graduated drivers license to ensure that a person would have both instruction and experience before obtaining a  commercial drivers license;
(6)	Effective enforcement of existing highway safety laws regarding speeding in highway work zones and properly securing loads of gravel, rock or similar substances on trucks, trailers or other vehicles; and
(7)	The use and potential effectiveness of water and physical element deflectors in reducing truck accidents.
Section 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.  The Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee shall report the results of the studies authorized by this act, including any recommended legislation, to the 1997 General Assembly, 1998 Regular Session.