| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to safety equipment requirements for certain cyclists; |
|
|
creating an offense. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 551.104(b), Transportation Code, is |
|
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(b) A person may not operate a bicycle at nighttime, during |
|
|
the 30-minute period before sunset, or during the 30-minute period |
|
|
after sunrise unless the person or bicycle is equipped with: |
|
|
(1) a lamp [on the front of the bicycle] that emits a |
|
|
white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet in front of |
|
|
the bicycle; and |
|
|
(2) [on the rear of the bicycle:
|
|
|
[(A) a red reflector that is:
|
|
|
[(i)
of a type approved by the department;
|
|
|
and
|
|
|
[(ii)
visible when directly in front of
|
|
|
lawful upper beams of motor vehicle headlamps from all distances
|
|
|
from 50 to 300 feet to the rear of the bicycle; or
|
|
|
[(B)] a lamp that emits a red light visible from a |
|
|
distance of 500 feet to the rear of the bicycle. |
|
|
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
|
|
to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. |
|
|
An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is |
|
|
governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, |
|
|
and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
|
|
purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
|
|
effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred |
|
|
before that date. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |