NC "Motorcycle Safety Act" goes live December 1, 2011

OFF THE WIRE
NC "Motorcycle Safety Act" goes live December 1, 2011 http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2011/Bills/House/HTML/H113v3.html
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2011
SESSION LAW 2011-361
HOUSE BILL 113

AN ACT to create additional protections for motorcyclists from unsafe movements by other vehicles.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1. G.S. 20‑154 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
"'(a1) A person who violates subsection (a) of this section and causes a motorcycle operator to change travel lanes or leave that portion of any public street or highway designated as travel lanes shall be responsible for an infraction and shall be assessed a fine of not less than two hundred dollars ($200.00). A person who violates subsection (a) of this section that results in a crash causing property damage or personal injury to a motorcycle operator or passenger shall be responsible for an infraction and shall be assessed a fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500.00)."
SECTION 2. This act becomes effective December 1, 2011, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 17th day of June, 2011.
s/ Walter H. Dalton
President of the Senate

s/ Thom Tillis
Speaker of the House of Representatives
s/ Beverly E. Perdue
Governor
Approved 12:31 p.m. this 27th day of June, 2011

=====