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Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
AS PASSED BY THE SENATE
March 17, 1999
S. 263
Introduced by Senators Peeler, Wilson, Passailaigue, Ryberg, Leventis, McConnell, Leatherman, Hayes, Russell, Reese, Grooms and Short
S. Printed 3/17/99--S.
Read the first time January 12, 1999.
TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 56-5-616 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM CONSISTS OF SEGMENTS OF HIGHWAY OFFICIALLY DESIGNATED IN THE NATIONAL SYSTEM OF INTERSTATE AND DEFENSE HIGHWAYS; TO AMEND SECTION 56-5-1520, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO SPEED LIMITS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE MAXIMUM SPEED LIMIT ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY IS SEVENTY MILES AN HOUR; TO AMEND SECTION 56-5-1540, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE ALTERATION OF SPEED LIMITS BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE MAXIMUM SPEED LIMIT IN AN URBAN DISTRICT IS SEVENTY MILES AN HOUR; AND TO REPEAL SECTION 56-5-1510, RELATING TO THE STATE'S FIFTY-FIVE MILE AN HOUR MAXIMUM SPEED LIMIT AND FEDERAL LAWS THAT PERMIT THE STATE TO SET SPEED LIMITS GREATER THAN FIFTY-FIVE MILES AN HOUR.
Amend Title To Conform
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 56-5-616. The interstate highway system consists of the segments of highways in South Carolina in the officially designated national system of interstate and defense highways."
SECTION 2. Section 56-5-1520 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 497 of 1994, is further amended to read:
"Section 56-5-1520. (a) General rule. No (A) A person shall not drive a vehicle on a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing. In every event Speed must be so controlled as may be necessary to avoid colliding with any a person, vehicle, or other conveyance on or entering the highway in compliance with legal requirements and the duty of all persons a person to use care.
(b) Maximum speed limits.(B) Except when a special hazard exists that requires lower speed for compliance with paragraph (a) of this section subsection (A), the limits specified in this section or established as hereinafter authorized are maximum lawful speeds, and no a person shall not drive a vehicle on a highway at a speed in excess of these maximum limits:
(1) thirty miles an hour in any urban district; seventy miles an hour on the interstate highway system and other freeways where official signs giving notice of this speed limit are posted;
(2) sixty miles an hour on multilane divided primary highways where official signs giving notice of this speed limit are posted; and
(3) fifty-five miles an hour in other locations or on other sections of highways and unpaved roads are limited to the speed of forty-five miles per hour; and except where speeds above fifty-five miles an hour are otherwise provided by Section 56-5-1510.
(4) manufactured, modular, or mobile homes must not be transported at a speed in excess of ten miles below the posted speed limit when the posted speed limit is in excess of forty-five miles per hour, and never in excess of fifty-five miles per hour.
(C) Thirty miles an hour is the maximum speed in an urban district. 'Urban district' means the territory contiguous to and including any street which is built up with structures devoted to business, industry, or dwelling houses situated at intervals of less than one hundred feet for a distance of a quarter of a mile or more.
(D) The maximum speed limits set forth in this section may be altered as authorized in pursuant to Sections 56-5-1530 and 56-5-1540.
(c) When lower speeds required; penalties; citation for violating speed limits.
(E) The driver of every a vehicle shall drive, consistent with the requirements of paragraph (a) subsection (A), drive at an appropriate reduced speed when approaching and crossing an intersection or railway grade crossing, when approaching and going around a curve, approaching a hillcrest, when traveling upon any narrow bridge, narrow or winding roadway, and when special hazard exists with respect to pedestrians or other traffic or by reason of weather or highway conditions.
(d) Any (F) A person violating the speed limits established by this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction for a first offense, must be fined or imprisoned as follows:
(1) in excess of the above posted limit but not in excess of ten miles an hour by a fine of not less than fifteen dollars nor more than twenty-five dollars;
(2) in excess of ten miles an hour but less than fifteen miles an hour above the posted limit by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than fifty dollars;
(3) in excess of fifteen miles an hour but less than twenty-five miles an hour above the posted limit by a fine of not less than fifty dollars nor more than seventy-five dollars; and
(4) in excess of twenty-five miles an hour above the posted limit by a fine of not less than seventy-five dollars nor more than two hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days.
(e)(G) Any A citation for violating the speed limits issued by any authorized officer must note on it the rate of speed for which the citation is issued.
(f)(H) In expending the funds credited to the state general fund from fines generated under subsection (d) (F), the department first shall consider the need for additional highway patrolmen."
SECTION 3. Section 56-5-1540(a)(2) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(2) increases the limit within an urban district but not to more than fifty-five seventy miles an hour, except that speed limits above fifty-five miles an hour are required when stipulated by Section 56-5-1510; or"
SECTION 4. Chapter 23, Title 57 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
Section 57-23-800. (A) The Department of Transportation shall conduct vegetation management of the medians, roadsides, and interchanges along the interstate highway system in accordance with the following requirements:
(1) a median of not more than sixty feet in width shall have its mowable area mowed in its entirety. A median wider than sixty feet shall only be mowed within thirty feet from the edges of the pavement.
(2) a roadside shall be mowed within thirty feet wide from the edge of the pavement. If fill slopes or back slopes are steep, one swath of the mower or not less than five feet shall be mowed on these slopes.
(3) an interchange shall be mowed in the same manner as a roadside, provided that the distance from the pavement required to be mowed may be increased to address any safety concerns involved.
(B) The mowing widths provided in subsection (A) may be increased when necessary to provide adequate visibility for signs erected by the department.
(C) The vegetation management activities conducted by the department shall not interfere in any way with the visibility of any outdoor advertising sign.
(D) If the Department of Natural Resources makes an assessment and written determination that vegetation management pursuant to this section causes an increase in safety risks because of the attraction of wildlife to the highways, then the department may increase the distance from the pavement required to be mowed."
SECTION 5. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 56-1-2156. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a commercial motor vehicle driver may not be assessed points against his driving record for failing to comply with lane restrictions posted on the interestate highway system by the Department of Transportation. For purposes of this section, a driver record means a commercial driver's license issued pursuant to Article 13, Chapter 1 of Title 56 and a driver's license issued pursuant to Section 56-1-130 for which points are assessed in Section 56-1-720."
SECTION 6. Section 56-5-1510 and Section 57-3-175 of the 1976 Code are repealed.
SECTION 7. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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