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An Act To Provide Traffic Safety Education in Schools
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  20-A MRSA c. 224  is enacted to read:
CHAPTER 224
TRAFFIC SAFETY EDUCATION
§ 6701. Traffic safety education defined
As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, "traffic safety education" means education designed to provide instruction regarding traffic safety laws and rules, including best practices for users of public and private ways, including motor vehicle operators, pedestrians, bicyclists and other vulnerable users, as that term is defined in Title 29-A, section 101, subsection 91-A.
§ 6702. Traffic safety education required
A school administrative unit shall provide at least one hour of age-appropriate traffic safety education annually to students in grades 2 to 12. The traffic safety education must meet the minimum requirements specified in section 6703.
§ 6703. Traffic safety education program minimum requirements
A traffic safety education program, referred to in this chapter as "the program," offered by a school administrative unit must meet, at a minimum, the following requirements adjusted as appropriate for each grade.
 
1.  Pedestrian instruction.     The program must provide instruction on traffic laws and rules applicable to pedestrians and safe pedestrian use of public and private ways, including:
 
A.  Use of sidewalks and crosswalks;
 
B.  Travel on the shoulders of public ways, including direction of travel;
 
C.  Entering, exiting and crossing public and private ways; and
 
D.  Conspicuity.
 
2.  Bicyclist instruction.     The program must provide instruction on traffic laws and rules applicable to bicyclists and safe bicycle operation on public and private ways, including:
 
A.  Helmet requirements and use;
 
B.  Lighting and reflector use;
 
C.  Hand signals and use;
 
D.  The meaning of and the proper response to traffic control devices as defined in Title 29-A, section 101, subsection 84;
 
E.  Travel on public ways, including direction of travel; and
 
F.  Entering, exiting and crossing public and private ways.
 
3.  Motorist instruction.     The program must provide instruction on traffic laws and rules applicable to motor vehicle operators and passengers in motor vehicles, including:
 
A.  Awareness of, operating around and safely passing pedestrians, bicyclists and other vulnerable users of public and private ways;
 
B.  Prohibitions against distracted driving;
 
C.  Prohibitions against operating under the influence of intoxicating liquor and drugs; and
 
D.  Speed limits.
§ 6704. Limits on instruction
The program is not intended to supplant a driver education course offered pursuant to chapter 316 and may not include any practical instruction in the operation of a motor vehicle.
§ 6705. Contract with 3rd party
A school administrative unit may contract with a 3rd party to provide traffic safety education.
 
SUMMARY
The purpose of this bill is to provide students in Maine with traffic safety education from an early age with the goal of teaching students safe practices and respect for all users of the road in order to reduce the unacceptable number of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities and make Maine's roadways safer and more enjoyable for all users.
This bill requires all school administrative units to provide at least one hour annually of age-appropriate traffic safety education to students in grades 2 to 12. The traffic safety education program must provide, at a minimum, instruction on the use of public and private ways by pedestrians, bicyclists and motor vehicle operators and on the laws and rules regarding that use. A school administrative unit may contract with a 3rd party to provide the traffic safety education.