The House gave initial approval today to a bill requiring slow-moving vehicles to pull over if there are five or more cars behind them.
The action came after a debate in which some rural lawmakers said farmers driving tractors or trucks loaded with hay or other materials would be unfairly penalized.
Rep. Mike Merrifield, D-Manitou Springs and the sponsor of the bill, said the measure was necessary to prevent traffic backups behind slow-moving vehicles like RVs. He said frustrated drivers behind the slow-movers often attempt unsafe passing maneuvers or develop road rage.
Merrifield said the bill requires slow-moving vehicles to pull over, but only when it is safe to do so.
“If it’s more dangerous to pull off” than it is to stay on the road, slow-moving vehicles won’t be ticketed, he said.
But rural lawmakers like Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, backed an amendment to exempt farm vehicles from the law.
“The last thing we want is somebody’s tractor to be pulled over” who is pulling a tank filled with anhydrous ammonia, Gardner said.
Rep. Wes McKinley, D-Walsh, said trucks hauling hay are often stacked so tall that pulling off on a shoulder could be dangerous.
Merrifield said the amendment was unnecessary, saying that vehicles don’t have to pull over if it’s unsafe. But, Merrifield, who said he once worked in farming, also questioned why farmers wouldn’t pull over if they see cars behind them.
“Sharing the road is what we’re talking about,” Merrifield said. “Nobody owns the road.”
The amendment failed as did one offered by Rep. David Balmer, R-Centennial, who wanted to exempt trucks hauling hazardous materials.
The House must approve the measure, HB 1042, once more before it can go to the Senate.
Tim Hoover: 303-954-1626 or thoover@denverpost.com
