Legislative Wrap-up: road, traffic, car bills passed in 2024

Several car-related bills passed the state legislature this year.

The Delaware General Assembly concluded its 2024 session with a flurry of bills affecting  highways, traffic and cars, many focused on improving safety and reducing crashes.

RELATED: Legislative Wrap-up: gun bills passed in 2024

House Bill 373 – donations for highway safety

Sponsored by Rep. Bill Bush, D-Cheswold, the bill enables the Office of Highway Safety to solicit and receive subscriptions, donations and other funds from individuals or organizations.

The funds must specifically be used for the purpose of implementing highway safety programs and projects that support the mission of reducing traffic fatalities and injuries in Delaware.

There was a 16% decrease in road fatalities from 2022 to 2023, with 137 reported deaths last year.

House Bill 247 – traffic safety

Sponsored by Rep. Ed Osienski, D-Newark, and dubbed the “Everyone Gets Home Act,” the bill makes changes to Delaware Code to sharpen the Department of Transportation’s focus on the three most common types of fatal crashes: intersections (including driveway), roadway departures and mid-block pedestrians.

It clarifies the department’s authority to designate controlled-access facilities as a safety countermeasure for both intersection and midblock pedestrian crashes.

When the facility designation has received the consent of county government, the bill requires counties to use their own authority to assist the department in consolidating vehicle entrances and exits to and from the facility.

It also authorizes the department to designate roadways as low-speed streets and low-speed local roads in order to address fatal roadway departure crashes related to vehicle speed and permits counties to request such designations to meet their own traffic safety goals.

The last key of the bill is giving the department discretion to deploy new traffic-control devices in order to reduce fatal crashes.

While traffic fatalities decreased from 2022 to 2023, the bill was years in the making and cites the 139 traffic fatalities in Delaware in 2021, the highest number of traffic fatalities since 2006.

Of course, that feat was topped in 2022 with 165 road deaths before dipping in 2023.

Senate Bill 275 – aggressive driving

Sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, D-Newark, the bill aims to combat aggressive driving and dangerous speeds on certain roads with fines and lane rules.

It prohibits vehicles from traveling in the left lane on the portions of State Route 1 or Interstate 495 that are an express highway except in any of the following circumstances

• When overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction under the rules governing overtaking and passing another vehicle.
• When necessary to enter, leave or continue on the roadway.
• When necessary due to an obstruction.
• When necessary in response to emergency conditions.
• When necessary due to traffic conditions or congestion.
• To comply with other laws or regulations.

In addition to being prohibited from traveling in the left lane, a vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of more than 26,000 pounds is further restricted to traveling only in the right-hand lane except in the same circumstances as when a vehicle may travel in the left lane.

Drivers who violate are subject to a civil penalty between $25 and $75 for a first offense, and between $57.50 and $95 for each subsequent occurrence.

Senate Bill 262 – weight of vehicles and loads

Sponsored by Senate Minority Whip Brian Pettyjohn, R-Georgetown, the bill allows trucks having five or more axles to weigh up to 90,000 pounds or combined manufacturer’s gross combined weight rating, whichever is less, before a penalty is assessed for exceeding weight restrictions if:

• They are hauling farm produce grown in Delaware and traveling from the farm on which the farm produce is grown to a location at which the farm produce is to be processed or stored
• They are hauling farm produce grown in Delaware  from the farm on which the farm produce is grown to a location at which the farm produce is processed or stored to an export facility within the state.

A truck hauling farm produce is granted this increased weight limit if the truck complies with several conditions aimed at ensuring public safety.

The conditions are technicalities and pertain to the space between the car axles, bridge weight limits and if the truck is using an interstate highway, as some examples.

Senate Bill 257 – car insurance

Sponsored by Sen. Trey Paradee, D-Dover, the bill changes Delaware’s law related to liability insurance for rental vehicles.

Under the bill, the minimum level of coverage required for a vehicle owner’s policy of liability insurance is also required for a vehicle owner’s rental of a vehicle.

Fiscal notes and next steps

All of the bills do not have a fiscal note attached to them, meaning they have no cost on the state’s budget.

HB 373 has already been signed by Gov. John Carney, meaning it is officially a state law. Those signed include HB 373,

Others have passed through both chambers of the General Assembly – the House of Representatives and the Senate – and are awaiting Carney’s signature to become law. Those include HB 247, SB 275, SB 262 and SB 257.

All of the bills take effect immediately after the governor’s signature.

The Delaware Department of Transportation , the Delaware Office of Highway Safety and the Delaware State Police were not available Thursday or Friday to comment on the bills.