CS/HB 33

1
A bill to be entitled
2An act relating to traffic control signals; amending
3s. 316.075, F.S.; requiring traffic control signals to
4maintain certain signal intervals and display
5durations based on approach speeds; providing that a
6citation for specified violations shall be dismissed
7if the traffic control signal does not meet specified
8requirements; providing dates for intersections to
9meet requirements of the act; providing an effective
10date.
11
12Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
13
14     Section 1.  Section 316.075, Florida Statutes, is amended
15to read:
16     316.075  Traffic control signal devices.-
17     (1)  Except for automatic warning signal lights installed
18or to be installed at railroad crossings, whenever traffic,
19including municipal traffic, is controlled by traffic control
20signals exhibiting different colored lights, or colored lighted
21arrows, successively one at a time or in combination, only the
22colors green, red, and yellow shall be used, except for special
23pedestrian signals carrying a word legend, and the lights shall
24indicate and apply to drivers of vehicles and pedestrians as
25follows:
26     (a)  Green indication.-
27     1.  Vehicular traffic facing a circular green signal may
28proceed cautiously straight through or turn right or left unless
29a sign at such place prohibits either such turn. But vehicular
30traffic, including vehicles turning right or left, shall yield
31the right-of-way to other vehicles and to pedestrians lawfully
32within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk at the time
33such signal is exhibited.
34     2.  Vehicular traffic facing a green arrow signal, shown
35alone or in combination with another indication, as directed by
36the manual, may cautiously enter the intersection only to make
37the movement indicated by such arrow, or such other movement as
38is permitted by other indications shown at the same time, except
39the driver of any vehicle may U-turn, so as to proceed in the
40opposite direction unless such movement is prohibited by posted
41traffic control signs. Such vehicular traffic shall yield the
42right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent
43crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection.
44     3.  Unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian control
45signal as provided in s. 316.0755, pedestrians facing any green
46signal, except when the sole green signal is a turn arrow, may
47proceed across the roadway within any marked or unmarked
48crosswalk.
49     (b)  Steady yellow indication.-
50     1.  Vehicular traffic facing a steady yellow signal is
51thereby warned that the related green movement is being
52terminated or that a red indication will be exhibited
53immediately thereafter when vehicular traffic shall not enter
54the intersection.
55     2.  Pedestrians facing a steady yellow signal, unless
56otherwise directed by a pedestrian control signal as provided in
57s. 316.0755, are thereby advised that there is insufficient time
58to cross the roadway before a red indication is shown and no
59pedestrian shall start to cross the roadway.
60     (c)  Steady red indication.-
61     1.  Vehicular traffic facing a steady red signal shall stop
62before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the
63intersection or, if none, then before entering the intersection
64and shall remain standing until a green indication is shown;
65however:
66     a.  The driver of a vehicle which is stopped at a clearly
67marked stop line, but if none, before entering the crosswalk on
68the near side of the intersection, or, if none then at the point
69nearest the intersecting roadway where the driver has a view of
70approaching traffic on the intersecting roadway before entering
71the intersection in obedience to a steady red signal may make a
72right turn, but shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and
73other traffic proceeding as directed by the signal at the
74intersection, except that municipal and county authorities may
75prohibit any such right turn against a steady red signal at any
76intersection, which prohibition shall be effective when a sign
77giving notice thereof is erected in a location visible to
78traffic approaching the intersection.
79     b.  The driver of a vehicle on a one-way street that
80intersects another one-way street on which traffic moves to the
81left shall stop in obedience to a steady red signal, but may
82then make a left turn into the one-way street, but shall yield
83the right-of-way to pedestrians and other traffic proceeding as
84directed by the signal at the intersection, except that
85municipal and county authorities may prohibit any such left turn
86as described, which prohibition shall be effective when a sign
87giving notice thereof is attached to the traffic control signal
88device at the intersection.
89     2.a.  The driver of a vehicle facing a steady red signal
90shall stop before entering the crosswalk and remain stopped to
91allow a pedestrian, with a permitted signal, to cross a roadway
92when the pedestrian is in the crosswalk or steps into the
93crosswalk and is upon the half of the roadway upon which the
94vehicle is traveling or when the pedestrian is approaching so
95closely from the opposite half of the roadway as to be in
96danger.
97     b.  Unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian control
98signal as provided in s. 316.0755, pedestrians facing a steady
99red signal shall not enter the roadway.
100     (2)  In the event an official traffic control signal is
101erected and maintained at a place other than an intersection,
102the provisions of this section shall be applicable except as to
103those provisions which by their nature can have no application.
104Any stop required shall be made at a sign or marking on the
105pavement indicating where the stop shall be made, but in the
106absence of any such sign or marking the stop shall be made at
107the signal.
108     (3)(a)  A No traffic control signal device may not shall be
109used unless it exhibits which does not exhibit a yellow or
110"caution" light between the green or "go" signal and the red or
111"stop" signal. Whenever an engineering analysis is undertaken
112for the purpose of evaluating or reevaluating yellow and red
113signal display durations of a new or existing traffic control
114signal, the department and local authorities shall adhere to the
115following:
116     1.  The minimum yellow signal display duration on traffic
117control signals shall be based on the posted speed limit plus 10
118percent along with the standards set forth in the Institute of
119Transportation Engineers Traffic Engineering Handbook, sixth
120edition, published in March, 2009. The minimum yellow signal
121display duration shall be 3 seconds for traffic control signals
122on streets with a posted speed limit of 25 miles per hour or
123less. The minimum yellow signal display duration found after the
124evaluation or reevaluation under this paragraph shall be raised
125to the nearest half second not to exceed 6 seconds.
126     2.  Intersections with a posted speed limit greater than 55
127miles per hour shall have, on approach, a sign posted in
128accordance with the Department of Transportation's manual of
129uniform traffic control devices to alert drivers to the traffic
130control signal.
131     (b)  A No traffic control signal device may not shall
132display other than the color red at the top of the vertical
133signal, nor may shall it display other than the color red at the
134extreme left of the horizontal signal.
135     (c)  To provide additional time before conflicting traffic
136movements proceed, the yellow signal display shall be followed
137by an all red clearance interval delaying the change of opposing
138red light signals. The duration of the clearance interval shall
139be determined by engineering practices as provided for in the
140Department of Transportation's manual of uniform traffic control
141devices required under s. 316.0745. The duration of a red
142clearance interval may be extended from its predetermined value
143for a given cycle based upon the detection of a vehicle that is
144predicted to violate the red signal indication.
145     (4)  A violation of subsection (1) or subsection (2) this
146section is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable pursuant
147to chapter 318 as either a pedestrian violation or, if the
148infraction resulted from the operation of a vehicle, as a moving
149violation. However, a citation for a violation of subparagraph
150(1)(c)1. committed at an intersection where the traffic signal
151device does not meet all requirements under subsection (3) is
152unenforceable and the court, clerk of the court, designated
153official, or authorized operator of a traffic violations bureau
154shall dismiss the citation without penalty or assessment of
155points against the license of the person cited. Dismissal of the
156citation under this subsection does not affect the validity of
157any other citation or charge for a violation of law and the
158dismissal may not be used as evidence in any other civil or
159criminal proceeding. Intersections with traffic infraction
160detectors must meet the requirements in this section by December
16131, 2012, or any citations issued at the intersections that do
162not meet the requirements in this section shall be dismissed
163under this subsection. All other intersections must meet the
164requirements in this section by December 31, 2014, or any
165citations issued at the intersections that do not meet the
166requirements in this section shall be dismissed under this
167subsection. One-third of the total number of intersections must
168be examined and brought into compliance each year until all
169intersections are in compliance.
170     Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.


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