Improve Pedestrian Safety.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 575

Short Title: Improve Pedestrian Safety. (Public)
Sponsors: Senator Murdock (Primary Sponsor).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 26, 2025
*S575-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT MAKING FAILUR E TO YIELD THE RIGHT -OF-WAY TO A PEDESTRIAN 2
WHILE OPERATING A MO TOR VEHICLE A CLASS TWO MISDEMEANOR IF T HE 3
PEDESTRIAN IS SERIOU SLY INJURED, ADDING A PEDESTRIAN SAFETY 4
MODULE TO THE DRIVER EDUCATION CURRICULU M, AND REQUIRING THE 5
DIVISION OF MOTOR VE HICLES AND THE DEPAR TMENT OF PUB LIC 6
INSTRUCTION STUDY ME THODS FOR IMPROVING THE DRIVER EDUCATION 7
CURRICULUM WITH RESPECT TO ITS INSTRUCTION ON PUBLIC SAFETY. 8
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 9
SECTION 1.(a) Article 3 of Chapter 20 of the General Statutes is amended by adding 10
a new section to read: 11
"§ 20-173. Failure to yield right-of-way to pedestrian resulting in serious injury. 12
Unless the conduct is covered under some other provision of law providing grea ter 13
punishment, any person who fails to yield the right -of-way to a pedestrian as required by t his 14
Article and inflicts serious injury to that pedestrian is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor." 15
SECTION 1.(b) This section becomes effective December 1, 2025, and applies to 16
offenses committed on or after that date. 17
SECTION 2.(a) G.S. 20-88.1 reads as rewritten: 18
"§ 20-88.1. Driver education. 19
… 20
(e) The Division shall develop a training course, training courses or identify an existing 21
training course, courses to educate individuals on both of the following: 22
(1) the The safe operation of a motor vehicle within a "highway work zone," as 23
defined in G.S. 20-141. 24
(2) When a motor vehicle operator is req uired to yield the right -of-way to a 25
pedestrian. 26
(f) With respect to the any training course developed or identified pursuant to this 27
subsection, subsection (e) of this section the Division shall do both of the following: 28
(1) Ensure the training course is accessible to the public both in-person and on its 29
website. 30
(2) Develop a method for a person to demonstrate successful completion of the 31
training course." 32
SECTION 2.(b) This section becomes effective December 1, 2025. 33
SECTION 3.(a) G.S. 115C-215 reads as rewritten: 34
"§ 115C-215. Administration of driver education program by the Department of Public 35
Instruction. 36
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 575-First Edition
… 1
(b) The driver education curriculum shall include the following: 2
… 3
(6) The highway work zone Any training course developed by the Division of 4
Motor Vehicles pursuant to G.S. 20-88.1.G.S. 20-88.1(e). 5
…." 6
SECTION 3.(b) This section becomes effective December 1, 2025, and applies 7
beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. 8
SECTION 4. The Division of Motor Vehicles of the North Carolina Department of 9
Transportation, in consultation with the Department of Public Instruction, shall study and provide 10
a plan for improving the driver education curriculum with respect to its instruction on pedestrian 11
safety. The Division shall report its findings of this stu dy, including any legislative 12
recommendations, to the North Carolina General Assembly, the chairs of the Joint Legislative 13
Oversight Committee, the chairs of the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee, 14
and the Fiscal Research Division no later than January 1, 2026. 15
SECTION 5. Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes 16
law. 17