CS/CS/HB 149

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to traffic control signals; amending s.
3316.075, F.S.; requiring traffic control signals to
4maintain certain signal intervals and display durations
5based on approach speeds; providing that a citation for
6specified violations shall be dismissed if the traffic
7control signal does not meet specified requirements;
8providing dates for intersections to meet requirements of
9the act; providing an effective date.
10
11Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13     Section 1.  Section 316.075, Florida Statutes, is amended
14to read:
15     316.075  Traffic control signal devices.-
16     (1)  Except for automatic warning signal lights installed
17or to be installed at railroad crossings, whenever traffic,
18including municipal traffic, is controlled by traffic control
19signals exhibiting different colored lights, or colored lighted
20arrows, successively one at a time or in combination, only the
21colors green, red, and yellow shall be used, except for special
22pedestrian signals carrying a word legend, and the lights shall
23indicate and apply to drivers of vehicles and pedestrians as
24follows:
25     (a)  Green indication.-
26     1.  Vehicular traffic facing a circular green signal may
27proceed cautiously straight through or turn right or left unless
28a sign at such place prohibits either such turn. But vehicular
29traffic, including vehicles turning right or left, shall yield
30the right-of-way to other vehicles and to pedestrians lawfully
31within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk at the time
32such signal is exhibited.
33     2.  Vehicular traffic facing a green arrow signal, shown
34alone or in combination with another indication, as directed by
35the manual, may cautiously enter the intersection only to make
36the movement indicated by such arrow, or such other movement as
37is permitted by other indications shown at the same time, except
38the driver of any vehicle may U-turn, so as to proceed in the
39opposite direction unless such movement is prohibited by posted
40traffic control signs. Such vehicular traffic shall yield the
41right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent
42crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection.
43     3.  Unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian control
44signal as provided in s. 316.0755, pedestrians facing any green
45signal, except when the sole green signal is a turn arrow, may
46proceed across the roadway within any marked or unmarked
47crosswalk.
48     (b)  Steady yellow indication.-
49     1.  Vehicular traffic facing a steady yellow signal is
50thereby warned that the related green movement is being
51terminated or that a red indication will be exhibited
52immediately thereafter when vehicular traffic shall not enter
53the intersection.
54     2.  Pedestrians facing a steady yellow signal, unless
55otherwise directed by a pedestrian control signal as provided in
56s. 316.0755, are thereby advised that there is insufficient time
57to cross the roadway before a red indication is shown and no
58pedestrian shall start to cross the roadway.
59     (c)  Steady red indication.-
60     1.  Vehicular traffic facing a steady red signal shall stop
61before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the
62intersection or, if none, then before entering the intersection
63and shall remain standing until a green indication is shown;
64however:
65     a.  The driver of a vehicle which is stopped at a clearly
66marked stop line, but if none, before entering the crosswalk on
67the near side of the intersection, or, if none then at the point
68nearest the intersecting roadway where the driver has a view of
69approaching traffic on the intersecting roadway before entering
70the intersection in obedience to a steady red signal may make a
71right turn, but shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and
72other traffic proceeding as directed by the signal at the
73intersection, except that municipal and county authorities may
74prohibit any such right turn against a steady red signal at any
75intersection, which prohibition shall be effective when a sign
76giving notice thereof is erected in a location visible to
77traffic approaching the intersection.
78     b.  The driver of a vehicle on a one-way street that
79intersects another one-way street on which traffic moves to the
80left shall stop in obedience to a steady red signal, but may
81then make a left turn into the one-way street, but shall yield
82the right-of-way to pedestrians and other traffic proceeding as
83directed by the signal at the intersection, except that
84municipal and county authorities may prohibit any such left turn
85as described, which prohibition shall be effective when a sign
86giving notice thereof is attached to the traffic control signal
87device at the intersection.
88     2.a.  The driver of a vehicle facing a steady red signal
89shall stop before entering the crosswalk and remain stopped to
90allow a pedestrian, with a permitted signal, to cross a roadway
91when the pedestrian is in the crosswalk or steps into the
92crosswalk and is upon the half of the roadway upon which the
93vehicle is traveling or when the pedestrian is approaching so
94closely from the opposite half of the roadway as to be in
95danger.
96     b.  Unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian control
97signal as provided in s. 316.0755, pedestrians facing a steady
98red signal shall not enter the roadway.
99     (2)  In the event an official traffic control signal is
100erected and maintained at a place other than an intersection,
101the provisions of this section shall be applicable except as to
102those provisions which by their nature can have no application.
103Any stop required shall be made at a sign or marking on the
104pavement indicating where the stop shall be made, but in the
105absence of any such sign or marking the stop shall be made at
106the signal.
107     (3)(a)  A No traffic control signal device may not shall be
108used unless it exhibits which does not exhibit a yellow or
109"caution" light between the green or "go" signal and the red or
110"stop" signal. Whenever an engineering analysis is undertaken
111for the purpose of evaluating or reevaluating yellow and red
112signal display durations of a new or existing traffic control
113signal, the department and local authorities shall adhere to the
114following:
115     1.  The minimum yellow signal display duration on traffic
116control signals shall be based on the posted speed limit plus 10
117percent along with the standards set forth in the Institute of
118Transportation Engineers Traffic Engineering Handbook, sixth
119edition, published in March, 2009. The minimum yellow signal
120display duration shall be 3 seconds for traffic control signals
121on streets with a posted speed limit of 25 miles per hour or
122less. The minimum yellow signal display duration found after the
123evaluation or reevaluation under this paragraph shall be raised
124to the nearest half second not to exceed 6 seconds.
125     2.  Intersections with a posted speed limit greater than 55
126miles per hour shall have, on approach, a sign posted in
127accordance with the Department of Transportation's manual of
128uniform traffic control devices to alert drivers to the traffic
129control signal.
130     (b)  No traffic control signal device shall display other
131than the color red at the top of the vertical signal, nor shall
132it display other than the color red at the extreme left of the
133horizontal signal.
134     (c)  To provide additional time before conflicting traffic
135movements proceed, the yellow signal display shall be followed
136by an all red clearance interval delaying the change of opposing
137red light signals. The duration of the clearance interval shall
138be determined by engineering practices as provided for in the
139Department of Transportation's manual of uniform traffic control
140devices required under s. 316.0745. The duration of a red
141clearance interval may be extended from its predetermined value
142for a given cycle based upon the detection of a vehicle that is
143predicted to violate the red signal indication.
144     (4)  A violation of subsection (1) or subsection (2) this
145section is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable pursuant
146to chapter 318 as either a pedestrian violation or, if the
147infraction resulted from the operation of a vehicle, as a moving
148violation. However, a citation for a violation of subparagraph
149(1)(c)1. committed at an intersection where the traffic signal
150device does not meet all requirements under subsection (3) is
151unenforceable and the court, clerk of the court, designated
152official, or authorized operator of a traffic violations bureau
153shall dismiss the citation without penalty or assessment of
154points against the license of the person cited. Dismissal of the
155citation under this subsection does not affect the validity of
156any other citation or charge for a violation of law and the
157dismissal may not be used as evidence in any other civil or
158criminal proceeding. Intersections with traffic infraction
159detectors must meet the requirements in this section by December
16031, 2011, or any citations issued at the intersections that do
161not meet the requirements in this section shall be dismissed
162under this subsection. All other intersections must meet the
163requirements in this section by December 31, 2013, or any
164citations issued at the intersections that do not meet the
165requirements in this section shall be dismissed under this
166subsection. One-third of the total number of intersections must
167be examined and brought into compliance each year until all
168intersections are in compliance.
169     Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.


CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.