Senate Bill No. 80–Senator O’Donnell

February 2, 1999

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Referred to Committee on Transportation

 

SUMMARY—Revises provisions governing speed limits in school zones. (BDR 43-159)

FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: Yes.

Effect on the State or on Industrial Insurance: Yes.

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted. Green numbers along left margin indicate location on the printed bill (e.g., 5-15 indicates page 5, line 15).

 

AN ACT relating to traffic laws; requiring that the signs designating the speed limit in a school crossing zone indicate the hours during which the speed limit is in effect; requiring the principal of each school to designate the hours during which the speed limit in a school zone or school crossing zone for the school is in effect; requiring the principal to notify the governing body of a local government or the department of transportation of the hours when the speed limit is in effect and any changes to those hours; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

1-1 Section 1. NRS 484.366 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-2 484.366 1. A person shall not drive a motor vehicle at a speed in

1-3 excess of 15 miles per hour in an area designated as a school zone except:

1-4 (a) On a day on which school is not in session;

1-5 (b) [During the period from a half hour after school is no longer in

1-6 operation to a half hour before school is next in operation; or

1-7 (c)] If the zone is designated by an operational speed limit beacon,

1-8 during the hours when the pupils of the school are in class and the yellow

1-9 lights of the speed limit beacon are not flashing in the manner which

1-10 indicates that the speed limit is in effect [.] ; or

1-11 (c) If the zone is not designated by an operational speed limit beacon,

1-12 during the hours when the speed limit is not in effect.

1-13 2. A person shall not drive a motor vehicle at a speed in excess of 25

1-14 miles per hour in an area designated as a school crossing zone except:

1-15 (a) On a day on which school is not in session;

2-1 (b) [During the period from a half hour after school is no longer in

2-2 operation to a half hour before school is next in operation; or

2-3 (c)] If the zone is designated by an operational speed limit beacon,

2-4 during the hours when the pupils of the school are in class and the yellow

2-5 lights of the speed limit beacon are not flashing in the manner which

indicates that the speed limit is in effect [.] ; or

2-6 (c) If the zone is not designated by an operational speed limit beacon,

during the hours when the speed limit is not in effect.

2-7 3. The governing body of a local government or the department of

2-8 transportation shall designate school zones and school crossing zones. An

area must not be designated as a school zone if imposing a speed limit of

2-9 15 miles per hour would be unsafe because of higher speed limits in

adjoining areas.

2-10 4. Each such governing body and the department shall provide signs to

2-11 mark the beginning and end of each school zone and school crossing zone

which it respectively designates.

2-12 5. The principal of each school district shall designate the hours

when the speed limit is in effect in the school zones and school crossing

2-13 zones for the school. The hours during which the pupils of a school are

2-14 in class must not be included in the hours during which the speed limit is

in effect in the school zone or school crossing zone. The principal shall

2-15 notify the governing body of a local government or the department of

transportation of the hours when the speed limit is in effect and any

2-16 changes to those hours.

2-17 6. As used in this section, "speed limit beacon" means a device which

is used in conjunction with a sign and equipped with two or more yellow

2-18 lights that flash alternately to indicate when the speed limit in a school zone

or school crossing zone is in effect.

2-19 Sec. 2. NRS 484.3665 is hereby amended to read as follows:

2-20 484.3665 1. Each permanent sign which designates a school zone or

school crossing zone and the speed limit in that zone must be uniform in

2-21 size and color and must clearly designate the hours during which the speed

limit applies.

2-22 2. Each portable sign designating a school zone and the speed limit in

2-23 the zone must be uniform in size and color. A portable sign may be placed

beside a roadway only during those hours when pupils are arriving at and

2-24 leaving regularly scheduled school sessions.

3. This section does not prohibit the use of automatic traffic-control

2-25 devices in school zones in lieu of permanent or portable signs.

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