CS for CS for SB 482 Summary

• Creates the "Highway Safety Act" with legislative intent to reduce road rage and aggressive careless driving, establishing that the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles must include Highway Safety Act information in driver's license educational materials after October 1, 2010.

• Increases the threshold for aggressive careless driving from two acts to three simultaneous or successive violations (speeding, unsafe lane changes, following too closely, failing to yield, improper passing, or traffic signal violations), imposing a $100 fine for first conviction and $250-$500 fine plus mandatory hearing for second or subsequent convictions.

• Allocates fines from aggressive careless driving convictions to the Department of Health Administrative Trust Fund to support trauma centers and emergency medical services, with $200,000 in year one and $50,000 in years two and three

directed to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles for educational materials.

• Requires drivers to yield the left lane on multilane highways when being overtaken by faster vehicles, with exceptions for speed limit compliance, active passing, traffic conditions, safety concerns, law enforcement direction, and left turns.

• Amends vehicle title and derelict motor vehicle procedures to require proper documentation, driver's license verification, thumbprints for non-owner sellers, lien notification processes, and restricts towing companies and repair shops from using derelict certificates without obtaining proper title or certificates of destruction.