Sixty-ninth Legislative Assembly of North Dakota
In Regular Session Commencing Tuesday, January 7, 2025
SENATE BILL NO. 2132
(Senators Rummel, Clemens, Davison, Boehm)
(Representatives Schauer, Novak)
AN ACT to amend and reenact section 39-09-01 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to careless
driving and causing injury to the operator of an authorized emergency vehicle or damage to an
authorized emergency vehicle; and to provide a penalty.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF NORTH DAKOTA:
SECTION 1. AMENDMENT. Section 39-09-01 of the North Dakota Century Code is amended and
reenacted as follows:
39-09-01. Basic rule - Penalty for violation.
No person
1.An individual may not drive a vehicle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under
the conditions and havingshall drive with regard to theexisting actual and potential hazards
then existing. Consistent with the foregoing, every person. An individual shall drive at a safe
and appropriate speed when approaching and crossing an intersection or railroad grade
crossing, when approaching and going around a curve, when approaching a hill crest, when
traveling upon any narrow or winding roadway, and when special hazards exist with respect to
pedestrians or, other traffic or by reason of, weather, or highway conditions. Any personAn
individual who drives a vehicle upon a highway or private or public property open to the public
for the operation of motor vehicles without heed toin violation of the requirements or
restrictions of this section has committedis guilty of careless driving and must be assessed a
fee of thirtyone hundred dollars.
Any person who, by reason of careless driving as herein defined, causes
2.An individual is guilty of an infraction if the individual violates subsection 1 of this section and:
a.Causes and inflicts injury uponon the person of an operator of snow removal equipment
engaged in snow removal operations or causes;
b.Causes and inflicts injury on the person of:
(1)A first responder acting within their official capacity and displaying a visible flashing,
revolving, or rotating blue, white, or red light, or hazard warning signal, while
stationary on the side of a roadway;
(2)The operator or occupant of an authorized emergency vehicle acting within their
official capacity and displaying a visible flashing, revolving, or rotating blue, white, or
red light, or hazard warning signal, while stationary on the side of a roadway; or
(3)An individual assisting another individual displaying a visible hazard warning light
while stationary on the side of a roadway;
c.Causes damage in excess of one thousandfour thousand dollars to snow removal
equipment engaged in snow removal is guilty of an infraction; or
d.Causes damage in excess of four thousand dollars to an authorized emergency vehicle. S. B. NO. 2132 - PAGE 2
3.As used in this section, "snow removal equipment" means a vehicle that is operated by a
personan individual employed by or on behalf of an authority in charge of the maintenance of
the highway to perform winter maintenance snow and ice removal, including plowing, hauling
away, salting, and sanding. S. B. NO. 2132 - PAGE 3
____________________________ ____________________________
President of the Senate Speaker of the House
____________________________ ____________________________
Secretary of the Senate Chief Clerk of the House
This certifies that the within bill originated in the Senate of the Sixty-ninth Legislative Assembly of North
Dakota and is known on the records of that body as Senate Bill No. 2132.
Senate Vote:Yeas 43 Nays 1 Absent 3
House Vote: Yeas 90 Nays 0 Absent 4
____________________________
Secretary of the Senate
Received by the Governor at ________M. on _____________________________________, 2025.
Approved at ________M. on __________________________________________________, 2025.
____________________________
Governor
Filed in this office this ___________day of _______________________________________, 2025,
at ________ o’clock ________M.
____________________________
Secretary of State