SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
STATEMENT TO
SENATE, No. 3544
with committee amendments
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
DATED: FEBRUARY 9, 2023
The Senate Transportation Committee reports favorably and with
committee amendments Senate Bill No. 3544.
As amended and reported, this bill concerns motor vehicles
overtaking certain pedestrians and persons operating bicycles and
personal conveyances.
Under current law, the operator of a motor vehicle is required to
take certain actions when approaching a pedestrian, bicycle, low-speed
electric bicycle, low-speed electric scooter, or any other lawful
personal conveyance on the roadways of this State.
Additionally, current law does not define “personal conveyance.”
Under this bill, “personal conveyance” includes, but is not limited to, a
low-speed electric bicycle, a low-speed electric scooter, a manual
wheelchair, a motorized wheelchair or a similar mobility assisting
device used by persons with physical disabilities or by persons whose
ambulatory mobility has been impaired by age or illness, an electric
personal assistive mobility device, a motorized scooter, a skateboard, a
motorized skateboard, roller skates, or any other device used by a
person for transportation.
In addition, this bill makes clarifying changes to the current
definition of “pedestrian.” Under the bill, “pedestrian” includes, but is
not limited to, a pedestrian as defined under current law or any other
person who is upon the roadway and outside of a motor vehicle for
work, emergency response, or recreation.
The committee amended the bill to make grammatical corrections
and to correct certain citations throughout the bill.