Relates to instruction concerning traffic stops in pre-licensing courses to provide drivers with their responsibilities when stopped by a law enforcement officer.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1082--A
Cal. No. 52
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 10, 2019
___________
Introduced by Sen. PERSAUD -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation -- reported
favorably from said committee, ordered to first and second report,
ordered to a third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining
its place in the order of third reading
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law and the insurance law, in
relation to instruction concerning traffic stops
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subparagraph (i) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 4 of
2 section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chapter 355 of
3 the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows:
4 (i) Upon submission of an application for a driver's license, the
5 applicant shall be required to take and pass a test, or submit evidence
6 of passage of a test, with respect to the laws relating to traffic, the
7 laws relating to driving while ability is impaired and while intoxicat-
8 ed, under the overpowering influence of "Road Rage", "Work Zone Safety"
9 awareness and "Motorcycle Safety" awareness as defined by the commis-
10 sioner, the law relating to exercising due care to avoid colliding with
11 a parked, stopped or standing authorized emergency vehicle or hazard
12 vehicle pursuant to section eleven hundred forty-four-a of this chapter,
13 the ability to read and comprehend traffic signs and symbols, the
14 responsibilities of a driver when stopped by a law enforcement officer
15 and such other matters as the commissioner may prescribe, and to satis-
16 factorily complete a course prescribed by the commissioner of not less
17 than four hours and not more than five hours, consisting of classroom
18 driver training and highway safety instruction or the equivalent there-
19 of. Such test shall include at least seven written questions concerning
20 the effects of consumption of alcohol or drugs on the ability of a
21 person to operate a motor vehicle and the legal and financial conse-
22 quences resulting from violations of section eleven hundred ninety-two
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00931-02-9
S. 1082--A 2
1 of this chapter, prohibiting the operation of a motor vehicle while
2 under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Such test shall include one or
3 more written questions concerning the devastating effects of "Road Rage"
4 on the ability of a person to operate a motor vehicle and the legal and
5 financial consequences resulting from assaulting, threatening or inter-
6 fering with the lawful conduct of another person legally using the road-
7 way. Such test shall include one or more questions concerning the poten-
8 tial dangers to persons and equipment resulting from the unsafe
9 operation of a motor vehicle in a work zone. Such test may include one
10 or more questions concerning motorcycle safety. Such test may include
11 one or more questions concerning the law for exercising due care to
12 avoid colliding with a parked, stopped or standing vehicle pursuant to
13 section eleven hundred forty-four-a of this chapter. Such test shall
14 include one or more questions concerning the responsibilities of a driv-
15 er when stopped by a law enforcement officer. Such test shall be admin-
16 istered by the commissioner. The commissioner shall cause the applicant
17 to take a vision test and a test for color blindness. Upon passage of
18 the vision test, the application may be accepted and the application fee
19 shall be payable.
20 § 2. Paragraph (b) of subdivision 4 of section 502 of the vehicle and
21 traffic law, as amended by chapter 355 of the laws of 2017, is amended
22 to read as follows:
23 (b) Upon successful completion of the requirements set forth in para-
24 graph (a) of this subdivision which shall include an alcohol and drug
25 education component as described in paragraph (c) of this subdivision, a
26 "Road Rage" awareness component as described in paragraph (c-1) of this
27 subdivision and a "Work Zone Safety" awareness component as described in
28 paragraph (c-2) of this subdivision, and a "Motorcycle Safety" awareness
29 component as described in paragraph (c-3) of this subdivision, and a
30 traffic stop instruction component as described in paragraph (c-4) of
31 this subdivision, the commissioner shall cause the applicant to take a
32 road test in a representative vehicle of a type prescribed by the
33 commissioner which shall be appropriate to the type of license for which
34 application is made, except that the commissioner may waive the road
35 test requirements for certain classes of applicants. The commissioner
36 shall have the power to establish a program to allow persons other than
37 employees of the department to conduct road tests in representative
38 vehicles when such tests are required for applicants to obtain a class
39 A, B or C license. If she chooses to do so, she shall set forth her
40 reasons in writing and conduct a public hearing on the matter. She shall
41 only establish such a program after holding the public hearing.
42 § 3. Subdivision 4 of section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law is
43 amended by adding a new paragraph (c-4) to read as follows:
44 (c-4) Traffic stop instruction component. (i) The commissioner shall
45 provide in the pre-licensing course, set forth in paragraph (b) of this
46 subdivision, a mandatory component in traffic stop instruction as a
47 prerequisite for obtaining a license to operate a motor vehicle. The
48 purpose of this component is to educate prospective licensees on his or
49 her responsibilities when stopped by a law enforcement officer.
50 (ii) The commissioner shall establish a curriculum for the traffic
51 stop instruction component which shall include but not be limited to:
52 instruction describing appropriate actions to be taken by drivers during
53 traffic stops and appropriate interactions with law enforcement officers
54 who initiate traffic stops. The curriculum shall also explain a driver's
55 responsibilities when stopped by a law enforcement officer, including
56 moving the vehicle onto the shoulder of the highway or, where the high-
S. 1082--A 3
1 way has no shoulder, an area adjacent to the highway where the vehicle
2 can safely be stopped during a traffic stop; turning off the motor vehi-
3 cle's engine and radio; avoiding sudden movements and keeping the driv-
4 er's hands in plain view of the officer. The commissioner is authorized
5 to collaborate with the division of state police and non-profit organ-
6 izations focusing on defending or promoting civil liberties and any
7 other agencies or organizations she or he deems necessary in establish-
8 ing the curriculum.
9 § 4. Subsection (a) of section 2336 of the insurance law, as amended
10 by chapter 751 of the laws of 2005, is amended to read as follows:
11 (a) Any schedule of rates or rating plan for motor vehicle liability
12 and collision insurance submitted to the superintendent shall provide
13 for an appropriate reduction in premium charges for any insured for a
14 three year period after successfully completing a motor vehicle accident
15 prevention course, known as the national safety council's defensive
16 driving course, or any driver improvement course approved by the depart-
17 ment of motor vehicles as being equivalent to the national safety coun-
18 cil's defensive driving course, provided that, except as provided in
19 article twelve-C of the vehicle and traffic law, there shall be no
20 reduction in premiums for a self instruction defensive driving course or
21 a course which does not provide for actual classroom instruction for a
22 minimum number of hours as determined by the department of motor vehi-
23 cles. Such reduction in premium charges shall be subsequently modified
24 to the extent appropriate, based upon analysis of loss experience
25 statistics and other relevant factors. All such accident prevention
26 courses shall be monitored by the department of motor vehicles and shall
27 include components of instruction in "Road Rage" awareness [and], in
28 "Work Zone Safety" awareness and in traffic stops as defined by the
29 commissioner of motor vehicles. The provisions of this section shall not
30 apply to attendance at a program pursuant to article twenty-one of the
31 vehicle and traffic law as a result of any traffic infraction.
32 § 5. Subsection (a) of section 2336 of the insurance law, as amended
33 by chapter 585 of the laws of 2002, is amended to read as follows:
34 (a) Any schedule of rates or rating plan for motor vehicle liability
35 and collision insurance submitted to the superintendent shall provide
36 for an appropriate reduction in premium charges for any insured for a
37 three year period after successfully completing a motor vehicle accident
38 prevention course, known as the national safety council's defensive
39 driving course, or any driver improvement course approved by the depart-
40 ment of motor vehicles as being equivalent to the national safety coun-
41 cil's defensive driving course, provided that in either event there
42 shall be no reduction in premiums for a self instruction defensive driv-
43 ing course or a course which does not provide for actual classroom
44 instruction for a minimum number of hours as determined by the depart-
45 ment of motor vehicles. Such reduction in premium charges shall be
46 subsequently modified to the extent appropriate, based upon analysis of
47 loss experience statistics and other relevant factors. All such accident
48 prevention courses shall be monitored by the department of motor vehi-
49 cles and shall include components of instruction in "Road Rage" aware-
50 ness [and], in "Work Zone Safety" awareness and in traffic stops as
51 defined by the commissioner of motor vehicles. The provisions of this
52 section shall not apply to attendance at a program pursuant to article
53 twenty-one of the vehicle and traffic law as a result of any traffic
54 infraction.
55 § 6. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
56 law; provided that the amendments to subsection (a) of section 2336 of
S. 1082--A 4
1 the insurance law, made by section four of this act, shall not affect
2 the expiration and reversion of such subsection and shall be deemed
3 repealed therewith, when upon such date section five of this act shall
4 take effect. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
5 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
6 this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made
7 and completed on or before such effective date.