Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:300.1

  • Department: means the Department of Transportation and Development. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
  • Divided highway: means any highway divided into roadways by a median, physical barrier, or clearly indicated dividing section so constructed as to impede vehicular traffic. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
  • Driver: means every person who drives or is in actual physical control of a vehicle. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
  • Highway: means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way or place of whatever nature publicly maintained and open to the use of the public for the purpose of vehicular travel, including bridges, causeways, tunnels and ferries; synonymous with the word "street". See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
  • Intersection: means : The area embraced within the prolongation or connection of the lateral curb lines, or, if none, then the lateral boundary lines of the roadways of two highways which join one another at, or approximately at, right angles, or the area within which vehicles traveling upon different highways joining at any other angle may come in conflict. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Motor vehicle: means every vehicle which is self-propelled, and every vehicle which is propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires, but not operated upon rails, but excluding a motorized bicycle and an electric-assisted bicycle. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
  • parking: means the standing of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, otherwise than temporarily for the purpose of and while actually engaged in loading or unloading merchandise or passengers. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
  • Roadway: means that portion of a highway improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular traffic, exclusive of the berm or shoulder. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
  • Seat belt: means the manual restraint system installed by the manufacturer as required by Federal Motor Vehicle Standard No. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
  • Stop: means , when required, the complete cessation from movement. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
  • Street: means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way or place of whatever nature publicly maintained and open to the use of the public for the purpose of vehicular travel, including bridges, causeways, tunnels, and ferries; synonymous with the word "highway". See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
  • Vehicle: means every device by which persons or things may be transported upon a public highway or bridge, except devices moved by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1

A.  A low-speed vehicle may be operated on any divided highway, highway, roadway, or street where the posted speed limit is thirty-five miles per hour or less and may cross any divided highway, highway, roadway, or street with a posted speed limit in excess of thirty-five miles per hour at an intersection or may traverse any divided highway, highway, roadway, or street with a posted speed limit of not more than forty-five miles per hour for a distance not exceeding one quarter mile as a means of conveyance in connecting from one divided highway, highway, roadway, or street where the posted speed limit is no more than thirty-five miles per hour to another divided highway, highway, roadway, or street where the posted speed limit is no more than thirty-five miles per hour.

B.  A low-speed vehicle operated upon any divided highway, highway, roadway, or street shall be equipped with the minimum motor vehicle equipment appropriate for motor vehicle safety as provided in 49 C.F.R. § 571.500.  This equipment shall include headlamps, front and rear turn signal lamps, taillamps, stop lamps, reflex reflectors, including one on each side as far to the rear as practicable, and one red reflector on the rear of the vehicle, an exterior mirror mounted on the driver‘s side of the vehicle and either an exterior mirror mounted on the passenger’s side of the vehicle or an interior mirror, a parking brake, a windshield that conforms to the American National Standard Institute’s “Safety Code for Safety Glazing Materials for Glazing Motor Vehicles Operating on Land Highways”, a windshield wiper, speedometer, odometer, braking for each wheel, a seat belt assembly installed at each designated seating position, and a vehicle identification number.

C.(1)  Any low-speed vehicle operated upon any divided highway, highway, roadway, or street shall be registered with the state of Louisiana, office of motor vehicles, in the same manner as motor vehicles intended for personal use; such low-speed vehicles shall be issued a license plate and shall be required to pay an annual registration license fee to be collected by the office of motor vehicles every two years in accordance with the procedures and schedule of fees provided for in La. Rev. Stat. 47:463.

(2)  Any low-speed vehicle operated on any divided highway, highway, roadway, or street shall be required to comply with the provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 32:861 and 862 relative to required compulsory motor vehicle liability security.

D.  No low-speed vehicle shall be operated by an unlicensed driver.

E.  All low-speed vehicles shall be required to comply with the provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 32:1301 et seq.; however, low-speed vehicles shall not be subject to emissions requirements.

F.(1)  Nothing contained in this Section shall be construed to prohibit the Department of Transportation and Development from prohibiting the operation of any low-speed vehicle on any state highway under its jurisdiction if the department determines that such prohibition is necessary for the safety of the motoring public.

(2)  Nothing contained in this Section shall be construed to prohibit parish or municipal governments from prohibiting the operation of any low-speed vehicle on any parish or municipal road or highway under its jurisdiction if such parish or municipal government determines that such prohibition is necessary for the safety of the motoring public.

Acts 2003, No. 986, §1; Acts 2008, No. 746, §1.

  Previous section
Next section  
 Subpart L Contents