Bill Text: FL H0033 | 2012 | Regular Session | Comm Sub

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Bill Title: Traffic Control Signals

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)

Status: (Failed) 2012-03-09 - Died in Appropriations Committee [H0033 Detail]

Download: Florida-2012-H0033-Comm_Sub.html

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CS/HB 33

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to traffic control signals; amending
3	s. 316.075, F.S.; requiring traffic control signals to
4	maintain certain signal intervals and display
5	durations based on approach speeds; providing that a
6	citation for specified violations shall be dismissed
7	if the traffic control signal does not meet specified
8	requirements; providing dates for intersections to
9	meet requirements of the act; providing an effective
10	date.
11
12	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
13
14	Section 1.  Section 316.075, Florida Statutes, is amended
15	to read:
16	316.075  Traffic control signal devices.-
17	(1)  Except for automatic warning signal lights installed
18	or to be installed at railroad crossings, whenever traffic,
19	including municipal traffic, is controlled by traffic control
20	signals exhibiting different colored lights, or colored lighted
21	arrows, successively one at a time or in combination, only the
22	colors green, red, and yellow shall be used, except for special
23	pedestrian signals carrying a word legend, and the lights shall
24	indicate and apply to drivers of vehicles and pedestrians as
25	follows:
26	(a)  Green indication.-
27	1.  Vehicular traffic facing a circular green signal may
28	proceed cautiously straight through or turn right or left unless
29	a sign at such place prohibits either such turn. But vehicular
30	traffic, including vehicles turning right or left, shall yield
31	the right-of-way to other vehicles and to pedestrians lawfully
32	within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk at the time
33	such signal is exhibited.
34	2.  Vehicular traffic facing a green arrow signal, shown
35	alone or in combination with another indication, as directed by
36	the manual, may cautiously enter the intersection only to make
37	the movement indicated by such arrow, or such other movement as
38	is permitted by other indications shown at the same time, except
39	the driver of any vehicle may U-turn, so as to proceed in the
40	opposite direction unless such movement is prohibited by posted
41	traffic control signs. Such vehicular traffic shall yield the
42	right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent
43	crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection.
44	3.  Unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian control
45	signal as provided in s. 316.0755, pedestrians facing any green
46	signal, except when the sole green signal is a turn arrow, may
47	proceed across the roadway within any marked or unmarked
48	crosswalk.
49	(b)  Steady yellow indication.-
50	1.  Vehicular traffic facing a steady yellow signal is
51	thereby warned that the related green movement is being
52	terminated or that a red indication will be exhibited
53	immediately thereafter when vehicular traffic shall not enter
54	the intersection.
55	2.  Pedestrians facing a steady yellow signal, unless
56	otherwise directed by a pedestrian control signal as provided in
57	s. 316.0755, are thereby advised that there is insufficient time
58	to cross the roadway before a red indication is shown and no
59	pedestrian shall start to cross the roadway.
60	(c)  Steady red indication.-
61	1.  Vehicular traffic facing a steady red signal shall stop
62	before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the
63	intersection or, if none, then before entering the intersection
64	and shall remain standing until a green indication is shown;
65	however:
66	a.  The driver of a vehicle which is stopped at a clearly
67	marked stop line, but if none, before entering the crosswalk on
68	the near side of the intersection, or, if none then at the point
69	nearest the intersecting roadway where the driver has a view of
70	approaching traffic on the intersecting roadway before entering
71	the intersection in obedience to a steady red signal may make a
72	right turn, but shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and
73	other traffic proceeding as directed by the signal at the
74	intersection, except that municipal and county authorities may
75	prohibit any such right turn against a steady red signal at any
76	intersection, which prohibition shall be effective when a sign
77	giving notice thereof is erected in a location visible to
78	traffic approaching the intersection.
79	b.  The driver of a vehicle on a one-way street that
80	intersects another one-way street on which traffic moves to the
81	left shall stop in obedience to a steady red signal, but may
82	then make a left turn into the one-way street, but shall yield
83	the right-of-way to pedestrians and other traffic proceeding as
84	directed by the signal at the intersection, except that
85	municipal and county authorities may prohibit any such left turn
86	as described, which prohibition shall be effective when a sign
87	giving notice thereof is attached to the traffic control signal
88	device at the intersection.
89	2.a.  The driver of a vehicle facing a steady red signal
90	shall stop before entering the crosswalk and remain stopped to
91	allow a pedestrian, with a permitted signal, to cross a roadway
92	when the pedestrian is in the crosswalk or steps into the
93	crosswalk and is upon the half of the roadway upon which the
94	vehicle is traveling or when the pedestrian is approaching so
95	closely from the opposite half of the roadway as to be in
96	danger.
97	b.  Unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian control
98	signal as provided in s. 316.0755, pedestrians facing a steady
99	red signal shall not enter the roadway.
100	(2)  In the event an official traffic control signal is
101	erected and maintained at a place other than an intersection,
102	the provisions of this section shall be applicable except as to
103	those provisions which by their nature can have no application.
104	Any stop required shall be made at a sign or marking on the
105	pavement indicating where the stop shall be made, but in the
106	absence of any such sign or marking the stop shall be made at
107	the signal.
108	(3)(a)  A No traffic control signal device may not shall be
109	used unless it exhibits which does not exhibit a yellow or
110	"caution" light between the green or "go" signal and the red or
111	"stop" signal. Whenever an engineering analysis is undertaken
112	for the purpose of evaluating or reevaluating yellow and red
113	signal display durations of a new or existing traffic control
114	signal, the department and local authorities shall adhere to the
115	following:
116	1.  The minimum yellow signal display duration on traffic
117	control signals shall be based on the posted speed limit plus 10
118	percent along with the standards set forth in the Institute of
119	Transportation Engineers Traffic Engineering Handbook, sixth
120	edition, published in March, 2009. The minimum yellow signal
121	display duration shall be 3 seconds for traffic control signals
122	on streets with a posted speed limit of 25 miles per hour or
123	less. The minimum yellow signal display duration found after the
124	evaluation or reevaluation under this paragraph shall be raised
125	to the nearest half second not to exceed 6 seconds.
126	2.  Intersections with a posted speed limit greater than 55
127	miles per hour shall have, on approach, a sign posted in
128	accordance with the Department of Transportation's manual of
129	uniform traffic control devices to alert drivers to the traffic
130	control signal.
131	(b)  A No traffic control signal device may not shall
132	display other than the color red at the top of the vertical
133	signal, nor may shall it display other than the color red at the
134	extreme left of the horizontal signal.
135	(c)  To provide additional time before conflicting traffic
136	movements proceed, the yellow signal display shall be followed
137	by an all red clearance interval delaying the change of opposing
138	red light signals. The duration of the clearance interval shall
139	be determined by engineering practices as provided for in the
140	Department of Transportation's manual of uniform traffic control
141	devices required under s. 316.0745. The duration of a red
142	clearance interval may be extended from its predetermined value
143	for a given cycle based upon the detection of a vehicle that is
144	predicted to violate the red signal indication.
145	(4)  A violation of subsection (1) or subsection (2) this
146	section is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable pursuant
147	to chapter 318 as either a pedestrian violation or, if the
148	infraction resulted from the operation of a vehicle, as a moving
149	violation. However, a citation for a violation of subparagraph
150	(1)(c)1. committed at an intersection where the traffic signal
151	device does not meet all requirements under subsection (3) is
152	unenforceable and the court, clerk of the court, designated
153	official, or authorized operator of a traffic violations bureau
154	shall dismiss the citation without penalty or assessment of
155	points against the license of the person cited. Dismissal of the
156	citation under this subsection does not affect the validity of
157	any other citation or charge for a violation of law and the
158	dismissal may not be used as evidence in any other civil or
159	criminal proceeding. Intersections with traffic infraction
160	detectors must meet the requirements in this section by December
161	31, 2012, or any citations issued at the intersections that do
162	not meet the requirements in this section shall be dismissed
163	under this subsection. All other intersections must meet the
164	requirements in this section by December 31, 2014, or any
165	citations issued at the intersections that do not meet the
166	requirements in this section shall be dismissed under this
167	subsection. One-third of the total number of intersections must
168	be examined and brought into compliance each year until all
169	intersections are in compliance.
170	Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.