75th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2009 Regular Session
 
NOTE:  Matter within  { +  braces and plus signs + } in an
amended section is new. Matter within  { -  braces and minus
signs - } is existing law to be omitted. New sections are within
 { +  braces and plus signs + } .
 
LC 2208
 
                         Senate Bill 620
 
Sponsored by Senator JOHNSON (at the request of Oregon Volunteer
  Firefighters Association)
 
 
                             SUMMARY
 
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the
measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to
consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's
brief statement of the essential features of the measure as
introduced.
 
  Increases penalty for failure to yield to emergency vehicle or
ambulance. Punishes by maximum fine of $720.
 
                        A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to failure to yield; creating new provisions; and
  amending ORS 811.145.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
  SECTION 1. ORS 811.145 is amended to read:
  811.145. (1) A person commits the offense of failure to yield
to an emergency vehicle or ambulance if an ambulance or emergency
vehicle that is using a visual or audible signal in a manner
described under ORS 820.300 and 820.320 approaches the vehicle
the person is operating and the person does not do all of the
following:
  (a) Yield the right of way to the ambulance or emergency
vehicle.
  (b) Immediately drive to a position as near as possible and
parallel to the right-hand edge or curb of the roadway clear of
any intersection.
  (c) Stop and remain in such position until the emergency
vehicle or ambulance has passed.
  (2) A person is not in violation of this section if the person
is acting as otherwise directed by a police officer.
  (3) This section does not relieve the driver of an emergency
vehicle or ambulance from the duty to drive with due regard for
the safety of all persons using the highway, nor does this
section protect the driver of any such vehicle from the
consequence of an arbitrary exercise of the right of way granted
under this section.
  (4) The offense described in this section, failure to yield to
an emergency vehicle or ambulance, is a   { - Class B - }  { +
Class + }  { +  A + } traffic violation.
  SECTION 2.  { + The amendments to ORS 811.145 by section 1 of
this 2009 Act apply to violations that occur on or after the
effective date of this 2009 Act. + }
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