Act No. 494

Public Acts of 2002

Approved by the Governor

July 2, 2002

Filed with the Secretary of State

July 3, 2002

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 3, 2002

STATE OF MICHIGAN

91ST LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2002

Introduced by Senators Bullard, Steil, Hart and Leland

ENROLLED SENATE BILL No. 1016

AN ACT to amend 1949 PA 300, entitled "An act to provide for the registration, titling, sale, transfer, and regulation of certain vehicles operated upon the public highways of this state or any other place open to the general public or generally accessible to motor vehicles and distressed vehicles; to provide for the licensing of dealers; to provide for the examination, licensing, and control of operators and chauffeurs; to provide for the giving of proof of financial responsibility and security by owners and operators of vehicles; to provide for the imposition, levy, and collection of specific taxes on vehicles, and the levy and collection of sales and use taxes, license fees, and permit fees; to provide for the regulation and use of streets and highways; to create certain funds; to provide penalties and sanctions for a violation of this act; to provide for civil liability of owners and operators of vehicles and service of process on residents and nonresidents; to provide for the levy of certain assessments; to provide for the enforcement of this act; to provide for the creation of and to prescribe the powers and duties of certain state and local agencies; to impose liability upon the state or local agencies; to repeal all other acts or parts of acts inconsistent with this act or contrary to this act; and to repeal certain parts of this act on a specific date," by amending sections 33, 657, 658, 660, 661, and 662 (MCL 257.33, 257.657, 257.658, 257.660, 257.661, and 257.662), section 33 as amended by 1997 PA 56, sections 657 and 660 as amended by 2000 PA 82, section 658 as amended by 1984 PA 328, and section 662 as amended by 2000 PA 131, and by adding section 13c.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 13c. "Electric personal assistive mobility device" means a self-balancing nontandem 2-wheeled device, designed to transport only 1 person at a time, having an electrical propulsion system with average power of 750 watts or 1 horsepower and a maximum speed on a paved level surface of not more than 15 miles per hour.

Sec. 33. "Motor vehicle" means every vehicle that is self-propelled, but for purposes of chapter 4 of this act motor vehicle does not include industrial equipment such as a forklift, a front-end loader, or other construction equipment that is not subject to registration under this act. Motor vehicle does not include an electric patrol vehicle being operated in compliance with the electric patrol vehicle act. Motor vehicle does not include an electric personal assistive mobility device.

Sec. 657. Each person riding a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, or moped or operating a low-speed vehicle upon a roadway has all of the rights and is subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this chapter, except as to special regulations in this article and except as to the provisions of this chapter which by their nature do not have application.

Sec. 658. (1) A person propelling a bicycle or operating a motorcycle or moped shall not ride other than upon and astride a permanent and regular seat attached to that vehicle.

(2) A bicycle or motorcycle shall not be used to carry more persons at 1 time than the number for which it is designed and equipped.

(3) A moped or an electric personal assistive mobility device shall not be used to carry more than 1 person at a time.

(4) A person operating or riding on a motorcycle, and any person less than 19 years of age operating a moped on a public thoroughfare shall wear a crash helmet on his or her head. Crash helmets shall be approved by the department of state police. The department of state police shall promulgate rules for the implementation of this section pursuant to the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328. Rules in effect on June 1, 1970, shall apply to helmets required by this act. This subsection does not apply to a person operating or riding in an autocycle if the vehicle is equipped with a roof which meets or exceeds standards for a crash helmet.

(5) A person operating or riding in an autocycle shall wear seat belts when on a public highway in this state.

Sec. 660. (1) A person operating a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, low-speed vehicle, or moped upon a roadway shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable, exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction. A motorcycle is entitled to full use of a lane and a motor vehicle shall not be driven in such a manner as to deprive a motorcycle of the full use of a lane. This subsection shall not apply to motorcycles operated 2 abreast in a single lane.

(2) A person riding a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, motorcycle, or moped upon a roadway shall not ride more than 2 abreast except on a path or part of a roadway set aside for the exclusive use of those vehicles.

(3) Where a usable and designated path for bicycles is provided adjacent to a roadway, a bicycle rider or an electric personal assistive mobility device operator may, by local ordinance, be required to use that path. Where a usable and designated path for bicycles is provided adjacent to a roadway, a bicycle rider who is less than 16 years of age shall use that path unless accompanied by an adult.

(4) A person operating a motorcycle, moped, low-speed vehicle, electric personal assistive mobility device, or bicycle shall not pass between lines of traffic, but may pass on the left of traffic moving in his or her direction in the case of a 2-way street, or on the left or right of traffic in the case of a 1-way street, in an unoccupied lane.

(5) A person operating a bicycle or an electric personal assistive mobility device on a sidewalk constructed for the use of pedestrians shall yield the right of way to a pedestrian and shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing the pedestrian.

(6) A moped or low-speed vehicle shall not be operated on a sidewalk constructed for the use of pedestrians.

(7) A low-speed vehicle shall be operated at a speed of not to exceed 25 miles per hour and shall not be operated on a highway, road, or street with a speed limit of more than 35 miles per hour except for the purpose of crossing that highway, road, or street. The state transportation department may prohibit the operation of a low-speed vehicle on any highway under its jurisdiction if it determines that the prohibition is necessary in the interest of public safety.

(8) This section shall not apply to a police officer in the performance of his or her official duties.

(9) An electric personal assistive mobility device shall be operated at a speed not to exceed 15 miles per hour and shall not be operated on a roadway with a speed limit of more than 25 miles per hour except to cross that roadway.

(10) The governing body of a county, city, village, an entity created under the urban cooperation act of 1967, 1967 (Ex Sess) PA 7, MCL 124.501 to 124.512, or township may, by ordinance, which is based on the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens, regulate the operation of electric personal assistive mobility devices on sidewalks, roadways, or crosswalks. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, a governing body of a county, city, village, an entity created under the urban cooperation act of 1967, 1967 (Ex Sess) PA 7, MCL 124.501 to 124.512, or township may prohibit the operation of electric personal assistive mobility devices in an area open to pedestrian traffic adjacent to a waterfront or on a trail under their jurisdiction or in a downtown or central business district. Signs indicating the regulation shall be conspicuously posted in the area where the use of an electric personal assistive mobility device is regulated.

(11) Operation of an electric personal assistive mobility device is prohibited in a special charter city and a state park under the jurisdiction of the Mackinac Island state park commission.

(12) Operation of an electric personal assistive mobility device may be prohibited in a historic district.

(13) The department of natural resources may by order regulate the use of electric personal assistive mobility devices on all lands under its control.

Sec. 661. A person operating a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, moped, or motorcycle shall not carry any package, bundle, or article that prevents the driver from keeping both hands upon the handlebars of the vehicle.

Sec. 662. (1) A bicycle or an electric personal assistive mobility device being operated on a roadway between 1/2 hour after sunset and 1/2 hour before sunrise shall be equipped with a lamp on the front which shall emit a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the front and with a red reflector on the rear which shall be visible from all distances from 100 feet to 600 feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful lower beams of head lamps on a motor vehicle. A lamp emitting a red light visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear may be used in addition to the red reflector.

(2) A bicycle shall be equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make the braked wheels skid on dry, level, clean pavement.

(3) An electric personal assistive mobility device shall enable the operator to bring it to a controlled stop.

(4) A person shall not sell, offer for sale, or deliver for sale in this state a bicycle or a pedal for use on a bicycle, either of which was manufactured after January 1, 1976, unless it is equipped with a type of reflex reflector located on the front and rear surfaces of the pedal. The reflector elements may be either integral with the construction of the pedal or mechanically attached, but shall be sufficiently recessed from the edge of the pedal, or of the reflector housing, to prevent contact of the reflector element with a flat surface placed in contact with the edge of the pedal. The pedal reflectors shall be visible from the front and rear of the bicycle during the nighttime from a distance of 200 feet when directly exposed to the lower beam head lamps of a motor vehicle.

(5) A person shall not sell, offer for sale, or deliver for sale in this state a bicycle manufactured after January 1, 1976 or an electric personal assistive mobility device unless it is equipped with either tires which have reflective sidewalls or with wide-angle prismatic spoke reflectors. If the bicycle or the electric personal assistive mobility device is manufactured with reflective sidewalls, the reflective portion of the sidewall shall form a continuous circle on the sidewall, and may not be removed from the tire without removal of tire material. If the bicycle is equipped with wide-angle prismatic spoke reflectors, the reflectors of the front wheel shall be essentially colorless or amber, and the reflectors on the rear wheel shall be essentially colorless or red. Reflective sidewalls or spoke reflectors shall cause the bicycle to be visible from all distances from 100 feet to 600 feet when viewed under lawful low beam motor vehicle head lamps under normal atmospheric conditions.

(6) A person who violates subsection (1) or (2) is responsible for a civil infraction.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Secretary of the Senate.

Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Approved

Governor.