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An Act To Enhance Safety for Highway Maintenance Vehicles
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §2054, sub-§1, ¶H, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 and affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read:
 
H.  "Highway maintenance vehicle" means a public or private commercial vehicle used to maintain, construct or inspect the highways or the property of a public utility, including, but not limited to, a plow, grader, sand truck, sweeper and tar truck.
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §2054, sub-§9, as amended by PL 2007, c. 348, §20, is further amended to read:
 
9. Stationary vehicles.   The operator of a vehicle passing a stationary authorized emergency vehicle using an emergency light or, a stationary highway maintenance vehicle or a stationary wrecker using its authorized lights, with due regard to the safety and traffic conditions, shall:
 
A.  Pass in a lane not adjacent to that of the authorized emergency vehicle, highway maintenance vehicle or wrecker, if possible; or
 
B.  If passing in a nonadjacent lane is impossible or unsafe, pass the emergency vehicle, highway maintenance vehicle or wrecker at a careful and prudent speed reasonable for passing the authorized emergency vehicle, highway maintenance vehicle or wrecker safely.
 
A violation of this subsection is a traffic infraction for which a minimum fine of $250 must be adjudged.
 
SUMMARY
This bill adds highway maintenance vehicles to the list of stationary vehicles for which a motorist must slow down or move to a nonadjacent lane, if possible.