ASSEMBLY, No. 818

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 1996 SESSION

By Assemblyman ARNONE and Assemblywoman FARRAGHER

An Act concerning operation of a motor vehicle in the vicinity of a horse and amending R.S.39:4-72.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. R.S.39:4-72 is amended to read as follows:

    39:4-72. a. When approaching or passing a person riding a horse, [A] a person driving a motor vehicle shall[,]reduce the vehicle's speed to a rate not exceeding 25 miles an hour. [at] At the request of or upon a signal by putting up the hand or otherwise, from a person riding or driving a horse in the opposite direction, the motor vehicle driver shall cause the motor vehicle to stop and remain stationary so long as may be necessary to allow the horse to pass.

    b. The director shall include in the New Jersey Driver Manual information explaining the requirements of subsection a. of this section and cautioning licensees on the need to exercise caution when operating a motor vehicle near horses.

    c. A person who violates this section shall be subject to a penalty of not less than $50 or more than $150, imprisonment for a term not exceeding 15 days, or both.

(cf: R.S.39:4-72)

    2. (New section) The director may distribute all remaining copies of the existing manual before reprinting it with the information required pursuant to subsection b. of R.S.39:4-72.

[2.]3. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    Current law requires a motorist approaching a person riding or driving a horse to stop his vehicle upon a signal by the equestrian. This bill would amend R.S.39:4-72 to further require the motorist to, at all times, slow his vehicle to a rate of speed not exceeding 25 miles an hour so as to avoid endangering the equestrian or the horse. Violators would be subject to a fine of not less than $50 or more than $150, a term of imprisonment not exceeding 15 days, or both.

    The bill also seeks to increase driver awareness of the need to drive defensively in the presence of horses. The Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles would be required to include in the State driver manual information on these requirements and a warning on the need for caution.

    This bill is intended to encourage motorists to exercise extra caution in the presence of horses, thereby increasing the safety of drivers, equestrians and these animals.

    The bill also permits the Director of DMV to distribute all remaining manuals before the manual is reprinted with the information required by this bill.

Requires motorists to reduce speed when approaching or passing equestrians.