Senate Bill No. 12

(By Senator Blatnik)

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[Introduced January 12; referred to the Committee
on Transportation.]
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A BILL to amend article fourteen, chapter seventeen-c of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section fourteen, relating to prohibiting the operation of motor vehicles commonly known as open-bed pickup trucks with passengers in the bed or load-carrying area; exceptions; and penalties.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That article fourteen, chapter seventeen-c of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section fourteen, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 14. MISCELLANEOUS RULES.
§17C-14-14. Passengers in open-bed trucks.

No driver may operate a motor vehicle commonly known as an open-bed pickup truck upon the streets or highways of this state while any person remains sitting or standing in or on any portion of the bed or load-bearing area: Provided, That this section does not apply to authorized emergency vehicles, motor vehicles being operated as part of an official or properly authorized and controlled parade or special event or motor vehicles being operated solely upon private property for farming purposes.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to prohibit the operation of open-bed pickup trucks with passengers in the bed area.

This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.