SB1218 – 37th Leg, 2nd Regular Session – 1986

Legislation prior to around 1997 is not available online, so below is the full chaptered version of a major bicycle legislation from 1986 (the 37th legislature). Here is the scanned image — thanks to Justin for providing it — and let me know if you spot any discrepancies. See here for a chronology of bicycle legislative changes.

Some of the changes were merely symbolic, e.g. removing references to play vehicle in conjunction with bicycles in the Article title. While others were important and substantial, and in addition allowed for greater conformance to UVC.

Particularly significant, this legislation gives us our modern §28-815A — our “stay to the right law”, along with its many and significant exceptions, along with the alternate hand signal (§28-756) — these were done expressly to conform to UVC, as was the arm signals (I think. It also strikes me as odd that motorcyclists can’t use the right arm signal; and also vehicles with right-hand drive are out-of-luck as they may not give arm signals at all!). It also added the two-lane highway impeding clause to n §28-704 .

“S.B. 1218 makes two changes in order to conform with the uniform vehicle code (UVC). The first change allows a person operating a bicycle to give a right turn signal by extending the right hand and arm horizontally to the right.  Second, it allows an operator of a bicycle to depart from the most extreme right position of the road in four specific situations…” — Revised Senate Fact sheet  for S.B. 1218 (that document can be found within this bundle of pages)

Also notable; the mandatory sidepath rule was still in effect; it would thankfully be repealed in 1989.

And just to show you legislators can have a sense of humor, the Gutierrez Floor Amendment to (what became; the bit about impeding 5 or more vehicles) 704C… “A Person who has eyes in the back of his head or is using a periscope to determine if he is impeding the flow of traffic”  The amendment, however, did not pass 🙂

As usual, Strike through is text removed text from statutes, while ALL CAPS in statutes is added text.


HIGHWAY TRAFFIC REGULATION—SLOW MOVING MOTOR

VEHICLES; BICYCLES

CHAPTER 81

SENATE BILL 1218

AN ACT

 

RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION; CHANGING THE DESIGNATION OF TITLE 28, CHAPTER 6, ARTICLE 11, ARIZONA REVISED STATUTES, TO ‘OPERATION OF BICYCLES’; PRESCRIBING DRIVERS ON CERTAIN HIGHWAYS UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS TO YIELD TO OTHER VEHICLES; PRESCRIBING METHOD OF GIVING HAND AND ARM SIGNALS FOR BICYCLISTS; PRESCRIBING CERTAIN TRAFFIC LAWS APPLICABLE TO PERSONS OPERATING BICYCLES ON ROADWAYS OR SHOULDERS OF ROADWAYS, AND AMENDING SECTIONS 28-704, 28-756, 28-812 AND 28-815, ARIZONA REVISED STATUTES.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. Heading change

The article heading of title 28, chapter 6, article 11, Arizona Revised Statutes, is Changed from ‘OPERATION OF BICYCLES AND PLAY VEHICLES’ to “OPERATION OF BICYCLES’.

Sec. 2. Section 28-704, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

28-704. Minimum speed regulation

A. No person shall drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement such a slow speed as to of traffic except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law.

B. Whenever the director or local authorities within their respective jurisdictions determine on the basis of an engineering and traffic investigation that slow speeds on any part of a highway consistently impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, the director or such local authority may determine and declare a minimum speed limit below which no person shall drive a vehicle except when necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law.

C. IF A PERSON IS DRIVING A VEHICLE AT A SPEED LESS THAN THE NORMAL FLOW OF TRAFFIC AT THE PARTICULAR TIME AND PLACE ON A TWO-LANE HIGHWAY WHERE PASSING IS UNSAFE, AND IF FIVE OR MORE VEHICLES ARE FORMED IN A LINE BEHIND THE VEHICLE, THE PERSON SHALL TURN THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROADWAY AT THE NEAREST PLACE DESIGNATED AS A TURNOUT BY SIGNS ERECTED BY THE DIRECTOR OR A LOCAL AUTHORITY, OR WHEREVER SUFFICIENT AREA FOR A SAFE TURNOUT EXISTS, IN ORDER TO PERMIT THE VEHICLES FOLLOWING TO PROCEED.

Sec. 3. Section 28-756, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

28-756. Method of giving hand and arm signals

A. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED BY SUBSECTION B, all signals required by this article to be given by hand and arm shall be given from the left side of the vehicle in the following manner and the signals shall indicate as follows:

    1. Left turn. Hand and arm extended horizontally.
    2. Right turn. Hand and arm extended upward.
    3. Stop or decrease speed. Hand and arm extended downward.

B. A PERSON OPERATING A BICYCLE MAY GIVE A RIGHT TURN SIGNAL BY EXTENDING THE RIGHT HAND AND ARM HORIZONTALLY AND TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BICYCLE.

Sec. 4. Section 28-812, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

28-812. Traffic laws apply to persons riding bicycles

Every person riding a bicycle upon a roadway shall be OR UPON A SHOULDER ADJOINING A ROADWAY IS granted all the rights and shall be IS subject to all the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this chapter, except as to special regulations in this article, and except as to those provisions of this chapter which by their nature can have no application.

Sec. 5. Section 28-815, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

28-815. Riding on roadways and bicycle paths; prohibition of motor vehicle traffic on bike paths

A. Every A person operating a bicycle upon a roadway AT LESS THAN THE NORMAL SPEED OF TRAFFIC AT THE TIME AND PLACE AND UNDER THE CONDITIONS THEN EXISTING shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway CLOSE as practicable, exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction TO THE RIGHT HAND CURB OR EDGE OF THE ROADWAY, EXCEPT UNDER ANY OF THE FOLLOWING SITUATIONS:

1. IF OVERTAKING AND PASSING ANOTHER BICYCLE OR VEHICLE PROCEEDING IN THE SAME DIRECTION.

2. IF PREPARING FOR A LEFT TURN AT AN INTERSECTION OR INTO A PRIVATE ROAD OR DRIVEWAY.

3. IF REASONABLY NECESSARY TO AVOID CONDITIONS INCLUDING FIXED OR MOVING OBJECTS, PARKED OR MOVING VEHICLES, BICYCLES, PEDESTRIANS, ANIMALS OR SURFACE HAZARDS.

4. IF THE LANE IN WHICH THE PERSON IS OPERATING THE BICYCLE IS TOO NARROW FOR A BICYCLE AND A VEHICLE TO TRAVEL SAFELY SIDE BY SIDE WITHIN THE LANE.

B. Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway shall not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.

C. Wherever a usable path for bicycles has been provided adjacent to a roadway, bicycle riders shall use the path and shall not use the roadway [NOTE this section would be repealed in 1989]

D. A bicycle path or lane when designated as such by state or local authorities shall be deemed to be for the exclusive use of bicycles though other uses are permitted pursuant to subsection E or otherwise permitted by state or local authorities.

E. No person shall operate, stop, park or leave standing a vehicle in a bicycle path or lane designated by state or local authorities except for use in the case of emergency or for use in crossing such path or lane to gain access to any public or private road or driveway. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the use in OF such path or lane by the appropriate local authority.

Approved by the Governor, April 11, 1986

 

 

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