SENATE, No. 1570

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED OCTOBER 3, 1996

By Senators CAFIERO, LaROSSA, McGreevey and Kosco

An Act concerning the use of bicycles by law enforcement officers and supplementing chapter 4 of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes.

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

    1. Provisions of this chapter governing the operation of a bicycle shall not apply to a bicycle operated by a law enforcement officer in the performance of duty.

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    New Jersey law recognizes that effective law enforcement requires at times that police vehicles be driven in an unconventional manner. For that reason, police officers operating vehicles while on duty are exempt from certain traffic laws. However, no such exclusion exists for the growing number of police officers who use bicycles, rather than cars, in the line of duty.

    This bill would exempt these officers from the laws governing the operation of bicycles on the roadways of this State. To exploit the full potential of the bicycle as a law enforcement tool, these officers at times ride against traffic, forgo the use of headlights at night or otherwise operate their bicycles in a manner that would be unlawful under ordinary circumstances. Should a mishap occur in such situations, the exemption provided by this bill may offer some protection against law suits to bicycle police officers and their municipalities.

Exempts police on duty from bicycle traffic laws.