Chapter 464 Oregon Laws 2001

 

AN ACT

 

SB 844

 

Relating to roundabouts; creating new provisions; and amending ORS 811.400.

 

Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:

 

          SECTION 1. Sections 2 and 3 of this 2001 Act are added to and made a part of ORS chapter 801.

 

          SECTION 2. “Roundabout” means an intersection characterized by a circulatory roadway, channelized approaches and yield control of entering traffic. A roundabout encompasses the area bounded by the outermost curb line or, if there is no curb, the edge of the pavement, and includes crosswalks on any entering or exiting roadway.

 

          SECTION 3. “Circulatory roadway” means the portion of a highway within a roundabout that is used by vehicles to travel counterclockwise around a central island. A circulatory roadway does not have a crosswalk.

 

          SECTION 4. Section 5 of this 2001 Act is added to and made a part of the Oregon Vehicle Code.

 

          SECTION 5. (1) A person commits the offense of failure to yield right of way within a roundabout if the person operates a motor vehicle upon a multilane circulatory roadway and does not yield the right of way to a second vehicle lawfully exiting the roundabout from a position ahead and to the left of the person’s vehicle.

          (2) This section does not apply if a traffic control device indicates that the operator of a motor vehicle should take other action.

          (3) The offense described in this section, failure to yield right of way within a roundabout, is a Class C traffic violation.

 

          SECTION 6. ORS 811.400 is amended to read:

          811.400. (1) A person commits the offense of failure to use an appropriate signal for a turn, lane change or stop or for an exit from a roundabout if the person [is operating a vehicle that is turning, changing lanes, stopping or suddenly decelerating and the person] does not make the appropriate signal under ORS 811.395 by use of signal lamps or hand signals and the person is operating a vehicle that is:

          (a) Turning, changing lanes, stopping or suddenly decelerating; or

          (b) Exiting from any position within a roundabout.

          (2) This section does not authorize the use of only hand signals to signal a turn, change of lane, stop or deceleration when the use of signal lights [are] is required under ORS 811.405.

          (3) The offense described in this section, failure to use appropriate signal for a turn, lane change or stop or for an exit from a roundabout, is a Class B traffic violation.

 

Approved by the Governor June 19, 2001

 

Filed in the office of Secretary of State June 19, 2001

 

Effective date January 1, 2002

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