| New Traffic Laws |
Driving-related legislation taking effect September 1, 2003:
- SB 45 makes it a state jail felony to drive while
intoxicated with a passenger younger than 15. - SB 193 requires drivers nearing a stopped emergency
vehicle that has lights activated, unless otherwise
directed by a law enforcement officer, to: - Vacate the lane closest to the emergency vehicle, if the
highway has two or more lanes traveling the direction of
the emergency vehicle; or - Slow to a speed not more than five mph when the posted
speed limit is less than 25 mph.
- Having a video display that is visible from the driver's
seat is illegal. SB 209 expands the definition of video
receiving equipment to include digital videodisc players,
videocassette players or similar equipment. This
equipment may be used only if it is located so that the
video display is not visible from the operator's seat. - HB 1326 automatically suspends for one year the driver
license of anyone convicted of illegally racing on a public
roadway. Before the license can be reinstated, the
driver would have to complete 10 hours of community
service. The punishment for illegal racing increases to a
Class B misdemeanor. The law also increases the
punishment for drivers who are racing drunk, who have
open containers of alcohol in the vehicle when racing,
who seriously injure or kill someone during the race or
who have been convicted multiple times of illegal racing.
Those offense range from a Class A misdemeanor to a
second-degree felony. - SB 439 makes it illegal to add reflective material, lights,
emblems or anything else that changes the color of the
license plate or makes it difficult to read the letters on the
license plate. The name of the state where the vehicle is
registered must be visible. - SB 613 suspends the driver license of anyone under the
age of 21 who is convicted of the manufacture, delivery,
possession, transportation or use of an abusable volatile
chemical. - HB 2096 makes human trafficking a second-degree
felony; if the person trafficked is younger than 14 years
of age or the commission of the offense results in the
death, the offense is a first-degree felony. The bill also
makes is a Class B misdemeanor to transport a person in
a trailer or semi-trailer. - HB 292 strengthens an existing law and allows a police
office to have a blood or breath alcohol sample taken
from a driver involved in an alcohol-related crash that
kills or seriously injures another person, either in a motor
vehicle or a boat. - SB 895 requires that a parent or family member
participating in the Parent-Taught Driver Education
Program have a valid license for the previous three
years. The license cannot have been suspended,
revoked or forfeited during the past three years for traffic-
related violations. - SB 1445 amends the current law to allow limited use of
electronic information from the magnetic strip on the
back of driver licenses by banks-and Texas Parks and
Wildlife and its vendors. - HB 148 makes it a Class A misdemeanor to manufacture,
sell or possess a placard that is deceptively similar to a
disable parking placard without proper authorization. A
person also commits a Class B misdemeanor if they
knowingly park in a space designated for persons with
disabilities using a counterfeit placard. - HB1784 makes it an offense for a person to park their
vehicle where it blocks a disabled access aisle that is
designed to aid persons with disabilities. - HB1330 allows an applicant to voluntarily list on their
driver license or identification card any health condition
that might impede communication with peace officers.
The applicant must supply DPS with a written statement
from a licensed physician. (NOTE: This law takes effect
Jan. 1, 2004) - HB 3588 increases the penalty for seriously injuring
someone when illegally passing a school bus that is
loading or unloading students t o Class A misdemeanor.
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| Paul Jones 214-669-7403 Email comments to: NTDD |