New Road Laws

Kansas laws are amended each year during the Legislative Session, and often the changes pertain to traffic safety. Below are many of the changes that will affect the motoring public. For more information on Kansas statutes and bills, visit the Kansas Legislature's Web site.

Booster Seats
Move Over Law
School Zone Safety
Commercial Trucking Safety
Improved Visibility
Driver's Licenses
Crash Scenes
Driving Under the Influence

Booster Seats

The Child Passenger Safety Act was amended to include the following revised guidelines for child passenger restraints:

Children younger than 1 year and weighing 20 pounds must ride in a rear-facing child seat.
Children ages 1, 2, and 3 must be properly restrained in a forward-facing child seat.
Children ages 4, 5, 6, and 7, who are shorter than 4 feet, 9 inches or weigh less than 80 pounds, must use a booster seat.
Children ages 8 through 13 must wear a safety belt.

Under this new law, if a vehicle is transporting more child passengers than the number of safety restraining systems, or if it only has lap restraining systems, the driver would not be charged with a violation. The amendment also increased the fine for a child passenger traffic violation from $20 to $60, with $40 of the fine credited to the Children's Advocacy Center Fund. (2006 HB 2611 amendments to K.S.A. 8-1344, 8-1345, and K.S.A. 2005 Supp. 20-350)

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Move Over Law

Motorists on four-lane highways are required to slow down and move away emergency vehicles displaying flashing lights. The law was amended to include a requirement for traffic to move away from vehicles engaged in highway construction or maintenance operations when those vehicles are displaying an amber flashing light. (2006 SB 411 amendment to K.S.A. 8-1520a, 8-1531, K.S.A. 2005 Supp. 8-2118 and 66-1,130.)

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School Zone Safety

An amendment makes it unlawful for a person to willfully fail or refuse to comply with a lawful order or direction of any uniformed school crossing guard. (2006 SB 344 amendment to K.S.A. 2005 Supp. 8-1486 and 8-2118)

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Commercial Trucking Safety

The federal Performance and Registration Information Systems Management (PRISM) project was implemented in Kansas. The Kansas Department of Revenue may revoke or suspend the vehicle registration of commercial motor vehicles when PRISM notifies the state that the motor carrier responsible for a vehicle was prohibited from operating in interstate commerce. (2006 SB 373 amendment to K.S.A. 8-1,120)

Truck tractors and dump semi-trailers or truck-trailer combinations are exempt from the federal "bridge formula" when these vehicles are operated on the interstate system. (2006 HB 2630 amendment to K.S.A. 8-1909a)

The length limitation of drive-away saddle mount combination vehicles was increased from 75 feet to 97 feet. (2006 HB 2629 amendment to K.S.A. 8-1904)

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Improved Visibility

The maximum width of appurtenances or accessories attached to motor homes and travel trailers may not extend beyond the vehicle's rearview mirrors. (2006 SB 372 amendment to K.S.A. 8-1902)

Another amendment requires headlights to be used during distances when persons and vehicles on the highway are not clearly discernible at a distance of 1,000 feet ahead, or when windshield wipers are in continuous use because of rain, sleet, or snow. (2006 HB 2748 amendment to K.S.A. 8-1602, 8-1703, K.S.A. 2005 Supp. 8-1,146 and 8-1606)

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Drivers' Licenses

The Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR) administers the driver's licensing program for the state. Contact KDOR if you have questions about your driver's license.

Kansas drivers' licenses have different appearances, depending on the age of the driver, with drivers under 21 receiving a vertical layout and drivers over 21 receiving a horizontal layout. An amendment during the 2006 Legislative Session will make a driver's license expire on the driver's 21st birthday so the vertical licenses may only be held by Kansans under the age of 21. (2006 SB 554 amendments to K.S.A. 2005 Supp. 8-240 and 8-247)

Another amendment will restrict a driver's license for any person who owes $500 or more in child support, limiting that person to driving to and from work or school, or driving in the event of a medical emergency. (2006 HB 2706 amendment to K.S.A. 8-255, 8-2117, 40-3104, K.S.A. 2005 Supp. 74-2012)

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Crash Scenes

It is a Class A, person misdemeanor to leave the scene of an injury crash or crash with property damage in excess of $1,000, and it is a severity level 10, person felony to leave the scene of an crash involving great bodily harm. Leaving the scene of crash involving a death is a severity level 9, person felony. (2006 HB 2748 amendment to K.S.A. 8-1602, 8-1703, K.S.A. 2005 Supp. 8-1,146 and 8-1606)

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Driving Under the Influence

A driver's license will be suspended on second, third, or fourth occurrences of DUI to not less than a year. Proof of installation of an ignition interlock device for one full year of the restriction period would be required before driving privileges will be restored by the Kansas Department of Revenue. (2006 HB 2916 amendment to K.S.A. 8-2,144, 8-1014, 8-1015, 65-1,107, K.S.A. 2005 Supp. 8-1001, 8-1012, 21-3610 c, 41-727)