GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2003

SESSION LAW 2004-193

HOUSE BILL 1046

AN ACT to CREATE the offense of aggressive driving.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Chapter 20 of the General Statutes is amended by adding  a new section to read:

"§ 20-141.6.  Aggressive Driving.

(a) Any person who operates a motor vehicle on a street, highway, or public vehicular area is guilty of aggressive driving if the person:

(1) Violates either G.S. 20-141 or G.S. 20-141.1, and

(2) Drives carelessly and heedlessly in willful or wanton disregard of the rights or safety of others.

(b) For the purposes of this section only, in order to prove a violation of subsection (a)(2), the State must show that the person committed two or more of the below specified offenses while in violation of subsection (a)(1):

(1) Running through a red light in violation of G.S. 20-158(b)(2) or (b)(3), or G.S. 20-158(c)(2) or (c)(3).

(2) Running through a stop sign in violation of G.S. 20-158(b)(1) or (c)(1).

(3) Illegal passing in violation of G.S. 20-149 or G.S. 20-150.

(4) Failing to yield right-of-way in violation of G.S. 20-155, 20-156,  20-158(b)(4) or (c)(4), or  20-158.1.

(5) Following too closely in violation of G.S. 20-152.

(c) A person convicted of aggressive driving is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

(d) The offense of reckless driving under G.S. 20-140 is a lesser-included offense of the offense set forth in this section."

SECTION 2.  G.S. 20-16(a)(9) reads as rewritten:

"(a)      The Division shall have authority to suspend the license of any operator with or without a preliminary hearing upon a showing by its records or other satisfactory evidence that the licensee:

…

(9)       Has, within a period of 12 months, been convicted of (i) two or more charges of speeding in excess of 55 and not more than 80 miles per hour, or ofhour, (ii) one or more charges of reckless driving and one or more charges of speeding in excess of 55 and not more than 80 miles per hour;hour, or (iii) one or more charges of aggressive driving and one or more charges of speeding in excess of 55 and not more than 80 miles per hour;

…"

SECTION 3.  G.S. 20-16(c) reads as rewritten:

(c)       The Division shall maintain a record of convictions of every person licensed or required to be licensed under the provisions of this Article as an operator and shall enter therein records of all convictions of such persons for any violation of the motor vehicle laws of this State and shall assign to the record of such person, as of the date of commission of the offense, a number of points for every such conviction in accordance with the following schedule of convictions and points, except that points shall not be assessed for convictions resulting in suspensions or revocations under other provisions of laws: Further, any points heretofore charged for violation of the motor vehicle inspection laws shall not be considered by the Division of Motor Vehicles as a basis for suspension or revocation of driver's license:

Schedule of Point Values

Passing stopped school bus .......................................................................................... 5

Aggressive driving.......................................................................................................... 5

Reckless driving ............................................................................................................ 4

Hit and run, property damage only ............................................................................... 4

Following too close ...................................................................................................... 4

Driving on wrong side of road ..................................................................................... 4

Illegal passing ................................................................................................................ 4

Running through stop sign ............................................................................................ 3

Speeding in excess of 55 miles per hour .................................................................... 3

Failing to yield right-of-way ........................................................................................ 3

Running through red light ............................................................................................. 3

No driver's license or license expired more than one year ....................................... 3

Failure to stop for siren ................................................................................................ 3

Driving through safety zone ......................................................................................... 3

No liability insurance ................................................................................................... 3

Failure to report accident where such report is required .......................................... 3

Speeding in a school zone in excess of the posted school

zone speed limit ............................................................................................................ 3

Failure to properly restrain a child in a restraint or seat belt .................................... 2

All other moving violations .......................................................................................... 2

Littering pursuant to G.S. 14-399 when the littering

involves the use of a motor vehicle ............................................................................. 1

Schedule of Point Values for Violations While Operating a Commercial

Motor Vehicle

Passing stopped school bus .......................................................................................... 8

Rail-highway crossing violation .................................................................................. 6

Careless and reckless driving in violation of

G.S. 20-140(f) ............................................................................................................... 6

Speeding in violation of G.S. 20-141(j3) ................................................................... 6

Aggressive driving.......................................................................................................... 6

Reckless driving ............................................................................................................ 5

Hit and run, property damage only ............................................................................... 5

Following too close ...................................................................................................... 5

Driving on wrong side of road ..................................................................................... 5

Illegal passing ................................................................................................................ 5

Running through stop sign ............................................................................................ 4

Speeding in excess of 55 miles per hour .................................................................... 4

Failing to yield right-of-way ........................................................................................ 4

Running through red light ............................................................................................. 4

No driver's license or license expired more than one year ....................................... 4

Failure to stop for siren ................................................................................................ 4

Driving through safety zone ......................................................................................... 4

No liability insurance ................................................................................................... 4

Failure to report accident where such report is required .......................................... 4

Speeding in a school zone in excess of the posted school

zone speed limit ............................................................................................................ 4

Possessing alcoholic beverages in the passenger area of

a commercial motor vehicle ........................................................................................ 4

All other moving violations .......................................................................................... 3

Littering pursuant to G.S. 14-399 when the littering

involves the use of a motor vehicle ............................................................................. 1

The above provisions of this subsection shall only apply to violations and convictions which take place within the State of North Carolina. The Schedule of Point Values for Violations While Operating a Commercial Motor Vehicle shall not apply to any commercial motor vehicle known as an "aerial lift truck" having a hydraulic arm and bucket station, and to any commercial motor vehicle known as a "line truck" having a hydraulic lift for cable, if the vehicle is owned, operated by or under contract to a public utility, electric or telephone membership corporation or municipality and used in connection with installation, restoration or maintenance of utility services.

No points shall be assessed for conviction of the following offenses:

Overloads

Over length

Over width

Over height

Illegal parking

Carrying concealed weapon

Improper plates

Improper registration

Improper muffler

Improper display of license plates or dealers' tags

Unlawful display of emblems and insignia

Failure to display current inspection certificate.

In case of the conviction of a licensee of two or more traffic offenses committed on a single occasion, such licensee shall be assessed points for one offense only and if the offenses involved have a different point value, such licensee shall be assessed for the offense having the greater point value.

Upon the restoration of the license or driving privilege of such person whose license or driving privilege has been suspended or revoked because of conviction for a traffic offense, any points that might previously have been accumulated in the driver's record shall be cancelled.

Whenever any licensee accumulates as many as seven points or accumulates as many as four points during a three-year period immediately following reinstatement of his license after a period of suspension or revocation, the Division may request the licensee to attend a conference regarding such licensee's driving record. The Division may also afford any licensee who has accumulated as many as seven points or any licensee who has accumulated as many as four points within a three-year period immediately following reinstatement of his license after a period of suspension or revocation an opportunity to attend a driver improvement clinic operated by the Division and, upon the successful completion of the course taken at the clinic, three points shall be deducted from the licensee's conviction record; provided, that only one deduction of points shall be made on behalf of any licensee within any five-year period.

When a license is suspended under the point system provided for herein, the first such suspension shall be for not more than 60 days; the second such suspension shall not exceed six months and any subsequent suspension shall not exceed one year.

Whenever the driver's license of any person is subject to suspension under this subsection and at the same time also subject to suspension or revocation under other provisions of laws, such suspensions or revocations shall run concurrently.

In the discretion of the Division, a period of probation not to exceed one year may be substituted for suspension or for any unexpired period of suspension under subsections (a)(1) through (a)(10a) of this section. Any violation of probation during the probation period shall result in a suspension for the unexpired remainder of the suspension period. Any accumulation of three or more points under this subsection during a period of probation shall constitute a violation of the condition of probation."

SECTION 4.  G.S. 20-17(a)(6) reads as rewritten:

"(a)      The Division shall forthwith revoke the license of any driver upon receiving a record of the driver's conviction for any of the following offenses:

…

(6)       Conviction uponConviction, within a period of 12 months, of (i) two charges of reckless driving committed within a period of 12 months.driving, (ii) two charges of aggressive driving, or (iii) one or more charges of reckless driving and one or more charges of aggressive driving.

…"

SECTION 5.  G.S. 20-17(a)(7) reads as rewritten:

"(a)      The Division shall forthwith revoke the license of any driver upon receiving a record of the driver's conviction for any of the following offenses:

…

(7)       Conviction upon one charge of aggressive driving or reckless driving while engaged in the illegal transportation of intoxicants for the purpose of sale.

…"

SECTION 6. This act becomes effective December 1, 2004, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 16^th day of July, 2004.

                                                                    s/ Beverly E. Perdue

                                                                         President of the Senate

                                                                    s/ Richard T. Morgan

                                                                         Speaker of the House of Representatives

                                                                    s/ Michael F. Easley

                                                                         Governor

Approved 12:27 p.m. this 17^th day of August, 2004