SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 3544

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  FEBRUARY 9, 2023

      The Senate Transportation Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 3544.

      As amended and reported, this bill concerns motor vehicles overtaking certain pedestrians and persons operating bicycles and personal conveyances.

      Under current law, the operator of a motor vehicle is required to take certain actions when approaching a pedestrian, bicycle, low-speed electric bicycle, low-speed electric scooter, or any other lawful personal conveyance on the roadways of this State.

      Additionally, current law does not define “personal conveyance.”  Under this bill, “personal conveyance” includes, but is not limited to, a low-speed electric bicycle, a low-speed electric scooter, a manual wheelchair, a motorized wheelchair or a similar mobility assisting device used by persons with physical disabilities or by persons whose ambulatory mobility has been impaired by age or illness, an electric personal assistive mobility device, a motorized scooter, a skateboard, a motorized skateboard, roller skates, or any other device used by a person for transportation.

      In addition, this bill makes clarifying changes to the current definition of “pedestrian.”  Under the bill, “pedestrian” includes, but is not limited to, a pedestrian as defined under current law or any other person who is upon the roadway and outside of a motor vehicle for work, emergency response, or recreation.

      The committee amended the bill to make grammatical corrections and to correct certain citations throughout the bill.