346.57346.57 Speed restrictions. 346.57(1)(ag)(ag) “Expressway” means a state trunk highway that, as determined by the department, has 4 or more lanes of traffic physically separated by a median or barrier and that gives preference to through traffic by utilizing interchanges or limiting at-grade access to selected public roads and public driveways. 346.57(1)(am)(am) “Freeway” means a state trunk highway that has 4 or more lanes of traffic physically separated by a median or barrier and that gives preference to through traffic by limiting access to interchanges only. 346.57(1)(ar)(ar) “Outlying district” means the territory contiguous to and including any highway within the corporate limits of a city or village where on each side of the highway within any 1,000 feet along such highway the buildings in use for business, industrial or residential purposes fronting thereon average more than 200 feet apart. 346.57(1)(b)(b) “Semiurban district” means the territory contiguous to and including any highway where on either side of the highway within any 1,000 feet along such highway the buildings in use for business, industrial or residential purposes fronting thereon average not more than 200 feet apart or where the buildings in use for such purposes fronting on both sides of the highway considered collectively average not more than 200 feet apart. 346.57(2)(2) Reasonable and prudent limit. No person shall drive a vehicle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard for the actual and potential hazards then existing. The speed of a vehicle shall be so controlled as may be necessary to avoid colliding with any object, person, vehicle or other conveyance on or entering the highway in compliance with legal requirements and using due care. 346.57(3)(3) Conditions requiring reduced speed. The operator of every vehicle shall, consistent with the requirements of sub. (2), drive at an appropriate reduced speed when approaching and crossing an intersection or railway grade crossing, when approaching and going around a curve, when approaching a hillcrest, when traveling upon any narrow or winding roadway, when passing school children, highway construction or maintenance workers, railroad construction or maintenance workers, sanitation workers, or other pedestrians, and when special hazard exists with regard to other traffic or by reason of weather or highway conditions. 346.57(4)(4) Fixed limits. In addition to complying with the speed restrictions imposed by subs. (2) and (3), no person shall drive a vehicle at a speed in excess of the following limits unless different limits are indicated by official traffic signs: 346.57(4)(a)(a) Fifteen miles per hour when passing a schoolhouse at those times when children are going to or from school or are playing within the sidewalk area at or about the school. 346.57(4)(b)(b) Fifteen miles per hour when passing an intersection or other location properly marked with a “school crossing” sign of a type approved by the department when any of the following conditions exists: 346.57(4)(b)2.2. A school crossing guard is within a crosswalk at the intersection or the other location or, if no crosswalk exists, is in the roadway at the intersection or the other location. 346.57(4)(b)3.3. A school crossing guard is placing in or removing from the roadway at or near the intersection or the other location a temporary sign or device that guides, warns, or regulates traffic. 346.57(4)(c)(c) Fifteen miles per hour when passing a safety zone occupied by pedestrians and at which a public passenger vehicle has stopped for the purpose of receiving or discharging passengers. 346.57(4)(e)(e) Twenty-five miles per hour on any highway within the corporate limits of a city or village, other than on highways in outlying districts in such city or village. 346.57(4)(em)(em) Twenty-five miles per hour on any service road within the corporate limits of a city or village unless modified by the authority in charge of the highway. 346.57(4)(f)(f) Thirty-five miles per hour in any outlying district within the corporate limits of a city or village. 346.57(4)(g)(g) Thirty-five miles per hour on any highway in a semiurban district outside the corporate limits of a city or village. 346.57(4)(gm)1.1. Except as provided in subd. 2., 65 miles per hour on any expressway. 346.57(4)(gm)2.2. Seventy miles per hour on any freeway, including freeways that are a part of the national system of interstate and defense highways, and on any portion of an expressway that gives preference to through traffic by utilizing interchanges only. 346.57(4)(h)(h) In the absence of any other fixed limits or the posting of limits as required or authorized by law, 55 miles per hour. 346.57(4)(i)(i) Fifteen miles per hour on any street or town road, except a state trunk highway or connecting highway, within, contiguous to or adjacent to a public park or recreation area when children are going to or from or are playing within such area, when the local authority has enacted an ordinance regulating such traffic and has properly marked such area with official traffic control devices erected at such points as said authority deems necessary and at those points on the streets or town roads concerned where persons traversing the same would enter such area from an area where a different speed limit is in effect. 346.57(4)(j)(j) Thirty-five miles per hour on any town road where on either side of the highway within any 1,000 feet along such highway the buildings in use for business, industrial or residential purposes fronting thereon average less than 150 feet apart, provided the town board has adopted an ordinance determining such speed limit and has posted signs at such points as the town board deems necessary to give adequate warning to users of the town road. 346.57(4)(k)(k) Forty-five miles per hour on any highway designated as a rustic road under s. 83.42. 346.57(5)(5) Zoned and posted limits. In addition to complying with the speed restrictions imposed by subs. (2) and (3), no person shall drive a vehicle in excess of any speed limit established pursuant to law by state or local authorities and indicated by official signs. 346.57(6)(6) Certain statutory limits to be posted. 346.57(6)(a)(a) On state trunk highways and connecting highways and on county trunk highways or highways marked and signed as county trunks, the speed limits specified in sub. (4) (e) and (f) are not effective unless official signs giving notice thereof have been erected by the authority in charge of maintenance of the highway in question. The speed limit specified in sub. (4) (g) and (k) is not effective on any highway unless official signs giving notice thereof have been erected by the authority in charge of maintenance of the highway in question. The signs shall be erected at such points as the authority in charge of maintenance deems necessary to give adequate warning to users of the highway in question, but an alleged failure to post a highway as required by this paragraph is not a defense to a prosecution for violation of the speed limits specified in sub. (4) (e), (f), (g) or (k), or in an ordinance enacted in conformity therewith, if official signs giving notice of the speed limit have been erected at those points on the highway in question where a person traversing such highway would enter it from an area where a different speed limit is in effect. 346.57(6)(b)(b) The limit specified under sub. (4) (gm) is not effective unless official signs giving notice of the limit have been erected by the department. 346.57 AnnotationWhile sub. (2) is related to sub. (3), it is not limited by sub. (3). Sub. (3) creates a greater duty in respect to speed than sub. (2) does. Thoreson v. Milwaukee & Suburban Transport Corp., 56 Wis. 2d 231, 201 N.W.2d 745 (1972). 346.57 AnnotationJudicial notice may be taken of the reliability of the underlying principles of radar that employs the Doppler effect to determine speed. A prima facie presumption of accuracy of moving radar will be accorded upon competent testimony of the operating officer of required facts. State v. Hanson, 85 Wis. 2d 233, 270 N.W.2d 212 (1978). 346.57 AnnotationA prima facie presumption of accuracy applies to stationary radar devices. City of Wauwatosa v. Collett, 99 Wis. 2d 522, 299 N.W.2d 620 (Ct. App. 1980). 346.57 AnnotationAn actor may claim the defense of legal justification if the conduct of a law enforcement officer causes the actor to reasonably believe that violating the law is the only means of preventing bodily harm to the actor or another and causes the actor to violate the law. State v. Brown, 107 Wis. 2d 44, 318 N.W.2d 370 (1982). 346.57 AnnotationThis section does not impose absolute liability upon drivers to avoid accidents. Millonig v. Bakken, 112 Wis. 2d 445, 334 N.W.2d 80 (1983). 346.58346.58 Special speed restrictions for certain vehicles. 346.58(1)(a)(a) “Metal tire” means a tire the surface of which in contact with the highway is wholly or partially of metal or other hard, nonresilient material. 346.58(1)(b)(b) “Solid rubber tire” means a tire made of rubber but not inflated with compressed air. 346.58(2)(2) In addition to complying with other speed restrictions imposed by law, no person may drive any vehicle equipped with metal tires or solid rubber tires at a speed in excess of 15 miles per hour. This subsection does not apply to operation of a bicycle. 346.59346.59 Minimum speed regulation. 346.59(1)(1) No person shall drive a motor vehicle at a speed so slow as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or is necessary to comply with the law. 346.59(2)(2) The operator of a vehicle moving at a speed so slow as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic shall, if practicable, yield the roadway to an overtaking vehicle and shall move at a reasonably increased speed or yield the roadway to overtaking vehicles when directed to do so by a traffic officer. 346.59 HistoryHistory: 1977 c. 100; 2013 a. 365. 346.595346.595 Motorcycles and mopeds. Whenever a motorcycle or a moped is operated the following rules apply: 346.595(1)(1) All motor vehicles including motorcycles and mopeds are entitled to the full use of a traffic lane and no vehicle may be driven or operated in such a manner so as to deprive any other vehicle of the full use of a traffic lane. With the consent of both drivers, motorcycles may be operated not more than 2 abreast in a single lane, but mopeds may be so operated only where the speed limit is 25 miles per hour or less. 346.595(2)(2) No person shall ride any motorcycle or moped while in a side-saddle position. 346.595(3)(3) No passenger may ride a motorcycle who, when properly seated, cannot rest the feet on assigned foot rests or pegs. No passenger may ride on a moped. 346.595(3m)(3m) No more than 2 persons may ride on a motorcycle having 2 wheels in tandem during operation unless a sidecar has been attached to the motorcycle and the additional passengers are provided with adequate seating within the sidecar. 346.595(4)(4) No passenger shall ride in front of the operator on a motorcycle. 346.595(5)(5) The headlamps on motorcycles shall be lighted whenever the motorcycle is in operation. Motorcycles may be operated to the nearest repair facility for headlamp repair in the event of mechanical or electrical headlamp failure except during hours of darkness. Mopeds shall observe the requirements for lighted headlamps and tail lamps under s. 347.06. 346.595(6)(6) On any road for which the speed limit is more than 25 miles per hour, mopeds shall be operated only when riding single-file in the extreme right-hand lane. No person may operate a moped on any restricted access highway. 346.595 AnnotationThe provision requiring headlamps to be lighted is constitutional. City of Kenosha v. Dosemagen, 54 Wis. 2d 269, 195 N.W.2d 462 (1972). 346.60346.60 Penalty for violating sections 346.57 to 346.595. 346.60(1)(1) Except as provided in sub. (5), any person violating s. 346.59 may be required to forfeit not less than $20 nor more than $40 for the first offense and not less than $50 nor more than $100 for the 2nd or subsequent conviction within a year. 346.60(3)(3) Except as provided in sub. (3m) or (5), any person violating s. 346.57 (2), (3) or (4) (a) to (c) may be required to forfeit not less than $40 nor more than $300 for the first offense and may be required to forfeit not less than $80 nor more than $600 for the 2nd or subsequent conviction within a year. 346.60(3m)(a)1.1. Except as provided in subd. 2., if an operator of a vehicle violates s. 346.57 (2), (3), (4) (d) to (h), or (5) where persons engaged in work in a highway maintenance or construction area, railroad maintenance or construction area, utility work area, or emergency or roadside response area are at risk from traffic or where sanitation workers are at risk from traffic and the operator knows or should know that sanitation workers are present, any applicable minimum and maximum forfeiture specified in sub. (2) or (3) for the violation shall be doubled. 346.60(3m)(a)2.2. If an operator of a vehicle violates s. 346.57 (2), (3), (4) (d) to (h), or (5) where persons engaged in work in a highway maintenance or construction area, railroad maintenance or construction area, utility work area, or emergency or roadside response area are at risk from traffic and the violation results in bodily harm, as defined in s. 939.22 (4), to another, the operator may be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than 9 months, or both. In addition to the penalties specified under this subdivision, a court may also order a person convicted under this subdivision to perform not fewer than 100 nor more than 200 hours of community service work and attend traffic safety school, as provided under s. 345.60. 346.60(3m)(b)(b) If an operator of a vehicle violates s. 346.57 (2) to (5) when children are present in a zone designated by “school” warning signs as provided in s. 118.08 (1), any applicable minimum and maximum forfeiture specified in sub. (2) or (3) for the violation shall be doubled. 346.60(4)(4) Any person violating s. 346.595 may be required to forfeit not less than $30 nor more than $300. 346.60(5)(a)(a) Any operator of a bicycle, electric scooter, or electric personal assistive mobility device who violates s. 346.57 may be required to forfeit not more than $20. 346.60(5)(b)(b) Any operator of a bicycle, electric scooter, or electric personal assistive mobility device who violates s. 346.59 may be required to forfeit not more than $10. RECKLESS AND DRUNKEN DRIVING
346.61346.61 Applicability of sections relating to reckless and drunken driving. In addition to being applicable upon highways, ss. 346.62 to 346.64 are applicable upon all premises held out to the public for use of their motor vehicles, all premises provided by employers to employees for the use of their motor vehicles and all premises provided to tenants of rental housing in buildings of 4 or more units for the use of their motor vehicles, whether such premises are publicly or privately owned and whether or not a fee is charged for the use thereof. Sections 346.62 to 346.64 do not apply to private parking areas at farms or single-family residences. 346.61 HistoryHistory: 1995 a. 127. 346.61 AnnotationA privately owned parking lot was not included under this section. City of Kenosha v. Phillips, 142 Wis. 2d 549, 419 N.W.2d 236 (1988). 346.61 AnnotationA parking lot for patrons of a business is held out for the use of the public under this section. City of La Crosse v. Richling, 178 Wis. 2d 856, 505 N.W.2d 448 (Ct. App. 1993). 346.62346.62 Reckless driving. 346.62(2)(2) No person may endanger the safety of any person or property by the negligent operation of a vehicle. 346.62(2m)(2m) No person may recklessly endanger the safety of any person by driving a vehicle on or across a railroad crossing in violation of s. 346.44 (1) or through, around or under any crossing gate or barrier at a railroad crossing in violation of s. 346.44 (2).
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