January 18, 2022 - Introduced by Representatives Shelton, Snodgrass, Andraca,
Billings, Considine, Emerson, Hebl, B. Meyers, Pope, Sinicki, Stubbs,
Subeck, Vruwink and Drake, cosponsored by Senators Agard and Larson.
Referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.
AB853,1,4
1An Act to amend 346.23 (1), 346.23 (2), 346.24 (1), 346.24 (2), 346.37 (1) (a) 1.,
2346.37 (1) (c) 3., 346.37 (1) (c) 4., 346.37 (1) (d) 1. and 346.37 (1) (e) 1. of the
3statutes;
relating to: requiring vehicles to stop for pedestrians at certain
4intersections and crosswalks.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires a vehicle operator to stop his or her vehicle and remain
stopped until a pedestrian crossing at a crosswalk has completed crossing the
roadway.
Under current law, the operator of a vehicle is required to yield the
right-of-way to a pedestrian, personal delivery device, bicyclist, or rider of an
electric scooter or electric personal assistive mobility device that is crossing a
highway at an intersection or crosswalk controlled by a traffic signal on a green or
“walk" signal or that is crossing a highway at an intersection or crosswalk not
controlled by a traffic signal within a marked or unmarked crosswalk. “Yield the
right-of-way to a pedestrian" is defined to mean that the operator of a vehicle must
reduce speed, or stop if necessary, to avoid endangering, colliding with, or interfering
with pedestrian travel.
The bill requires that, under these circumstances, rather than yield, the vehicle
operator must stop the vehicle and remain stopped until the pedestrian, personal
delivery device, bicyclist, or rider of an electric scooter or electric personal assistive
mobility device has completed crossing the roadway.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB853,1
1Section
1. 346.23 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB853,3,32
346.23
(1) At an intersection or crosswalk where traffic is controlled by traffic
3control signals or by a traffic officer, the operator of a vehicle shall
yield the
4right-of-way to stop the vehicle when a pedestrian or personal delivery device, or
to 5a person who is riding a bicycle, electric scooter, or electric personal assistive mobility
6device in a manner
which that is consistent with the safe use of the crosswalk by
7pedestrians,
that has started to cross the highway on a green signal or a pedestrian
8signal authorizing crossing
and in and shall remain stopped until the pedestrian,
9personal delivery device, bicyclist, or rider of an electric scooter or electric personal
10assistive mobility device has completed crossing the roadway. In all other cases
, 11pedestrians, bicyclists, and riders of electric scooters and electric personal assistive
12mobility devices shall yield, and personal delivery device operators shall ensure that
13personal delivery devices yield, the right-of-way to vehicles lawfully proceeding
14directly ahead on a green signal.
No The operator of a vehicle proceeding ahead on
15a green signal
may begin a and preparing to turn at a controlled intersection or
16crosswalk
when where a pedestrian, personal delivery device, bicyclist, or rider of an
17electric scooter or an electric personal assistive mobility device
is crossing in the
18crosswalk on a green signal or a pedestrian signal authorizing crossing
would be
19endangered or interfered with in any way shall stop the vehicle and shall remain
20stopped until the pedestrian, personal delivery device, bicyclist, or rider of an electric
21scooter or electric personal assistive mobility device has completed crossing the
1roadway. The rules stated in this subsection are modified at intersections or
2crosswalks on divided highways or highways provided with safety zones in the
3manner and to the extent stated in sub. (2).
AB853,2
4Section
2. 346.23 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB853,3,155
346.23
(2) At intersections or crosswalks on divided highways or highways
6provided with safety zones where traffic is controlled by traffic control signals or by
7a traffic officer, the operator of a vehicle shall
yield the right-of-way to stop the
8vehicle when a pedestrian, personal delivery device, bicyclist, or rider of an electric
9scooter or an electric personal assistive mobility device
that has started to cross the
10roadway either from the near curb or shoulder or from the center dividing strip or
11a safety zone with the green signal or a pedestrian signal authorizing crossing in the
12favor of the pedestrian, personal delivery device, bicyclist, or rider of an electric
13scooter or an electric personal assistive mobility device
and shall remain stopped
14until the pedestrian, personal delivery device, bicyclist, or rider of an electric scooter
15or electric personal assistive mobility device has completed crossing the roadway.
AB853,3
16Section
3. 346.24 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB853,3,2517
346.24
(1) At an intersection or crosswalk where traffic is not controlled by
18traffic control signals or by a traffic officer, the operator of a vehicle shall
yield the
19right-of-way to stop the vehicle when a pedestrian or personal delivery device, or
to 20a person riding a bicycle, electric scooter, or electric personal assistive mobility device
21in a manner
which that is consistent with the safe use of the crosswalk by
22pedestrians,
that is crossing the highway within a marked or unmarked crosswalk
23and shall remain stopped until the pedestrian, personal delivery device, bicyclist, or
24rider of an electric scooter or electric personal assistive mobility device has completed
25crossing the roadway.
AB853,4
1Section
4. 346.24 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB853,4,72
346.24
(2) No pedestrian, personal delivery device, bicyclist, or rider of an
3electric scooter or an electric personal assistive mobility device may suddenly leave,
4and no personal delivery device operator may allow a personal delivery device to
5suddenly leave, a curb or other place of safety and walk, run, or ride into the path
6of a vehicle
which that is so close that it is difficult for the operator of the vehicle to
7yield stop.
AB853,5
8Section
5. 346.37 (1) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB853,4,139
346.37
(1) (a) 1. Vehicular traffic facing a green signal may proceed straight
10through, make a U-turn, or turn right or left unless a sign at such place prohibits
11the turning maneuver, but
, subject to s. 346.23, vehicular traffic shall yield the
12right-of-way to other vehicles and to pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or
13an adjacent crosswalk at the time the signal is exhibited.
AB853,6
14Section
6. 346.37 (1) (c) 3. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB853,5,515
346.37
(1) (c) 3. Vehicular traffic facing a red signal at an intersection may, after
16stopping as required under subd. 1., cautiously enter the intersection to make a right
17turn into the nearest lawfully available lane for traffic moving to the right or to turn
18left from a one-way highway into the nearest lawfully available lane of a one-way
19highway on which vehicular traffic travels to the left. Vehicular traffic in the leftmost
20right-turn lane of a roadway that provides 2 right-turn lanes may make a right turn
21on a red signal into a lawfully available lane that is 2nd to the rightmost lane for
22traffic moving to the right. Except for a vehicle turning right from the leftmost
23right-turn lane of a roadway that provides 2 right-turn lanes, no turn may be made
24on a red signal if lanes of moving traffic are crossed. No turn may be made on a red
25signal if a sign at the intersection prohibits the turn on a red signal.
In Subject to
1s. 346.23, in making a turn on a red signal vehicular traffic shall yield the
2right-of-way to pedestrians, personal delivery devices, bicyclists, and riders of
3electric scooters and electric personal assistive mobility devices lawfully within a
4crosswalk, to operators of vehicles making a lawful U-turn, and to other traffic
5lawfully using the intersection.
AB853,7
6Section
7. 346.37 (1) (c) 4. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB853,5,187
346.37
(1) (c) 4. Notwithstanding subd. 1., a motorcycle, moped, motor bicycle,
8or bicycle facing a red signal at an intersection may, after stopping as required under
9subd. 1. for not less than 45 seconds, proceed cautiously through the intersection
10before the signal turns green if no other vehicles are present at the intersection to
11actuate the signal and the operator of the motorcycle, moped, motor bicycle, or bicycle
12reasonably believes the signal is vehicle actuated.
The Subject to s. 346.23, the 13operator of a motorcycle, moped, motor bicycle, or bicycle proceeding through a red
14signal under this subdivision shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicular traffic,
15pedestrian, personal delivery device, bicyclist, or rider of an electric scooter or an
16electric personal assistive mobility device proceeding through a green signal at the
17intersection or lawfully within a crosswalk or using the intersection. This
18subdivision does not affect any authorization for a bicyclist under subd. 2.
AB853,8
19Section
8. 346.37 (1) (d) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB853,6,220
346.37
(1) (d) 1. Vehicular traffic facing a green arrow signal may enter the
21intersection to make the movement indicated by the arrow but
, subject to s. 346.23, 22shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians, personal delivery devices, bicyclists, and
23riders of electric scooters and electric personal assistive mobility devices lawfully
24within a crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection. Vehicular
25traffic facing a left turn arrow may make a U-turn unless a sign prohibits U-turns.
1When the green arrow signal indicates a right or left turn traffic shall cautiously
2enter the intersection.
AB853,9
3Section
9. 346.37 (1) (e) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB853,6,104
346.37
(1) (e) 1. Vehicular traffic facing a flashing yellow arrow signal may
5cautiously enter the intersection to make the movement indicated by the arrow but
,
6subject to s. 346.23, shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians, personal delivery
7devices, bicyclists, and riders of electric scooters and electric personal assistive
8mobility devices lawfully within a crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the
9intersection. Vehicular traffic facing a left turn arrow may make a U-turn unless
10a sign prohibits U-turns.
AB853,10
11Section 10
.
Initial applicability.
AB853,6,1612
(1) This act first applies to offenses committed on the effective date of this
13subsection but does not preclude the counting of other convictions as prior
14convictions for purposes of sentencing by a court, administrative action by the
15department of transportation, or suspension or revocation of motor vehicle operating
16privileges.