LANSING — State Rep. Scott Dianda (D-Calumet) introduced House Bill 5555 today creating penalties for people who misuse slow moving vehicle signs. The signs — a large orange triangle with a red border — are primarily used on the back of farm equipment and vehicles that travel roads at speeds far below the posted speed limit. They also show up on the back of horse-pulled buggies used by the Amish, and other slow-moving vehicles such as golf carts.
“I’ve heard from a number of farmers and others in my communities that people are using these signs for other reasons, including displaying them at the end of their driveways or on their mailboxes,” said Dianda. “These signs have an important purpose and using them for something else creates a serious safety hazard, and that’s why I’m introducing this bill to make their misuse a civil infraction.”
Dianda said he’s heard that people use them in driveways as a way to get people to slow down so it’s easier for someone trying to exit the driveway.
“There are other markers homeowners can use to alert motorist to a driveway or a mailbox,” said Dianda. “We need to use slow-moving vehicle signs for their intended purpose of keeping our roads safe for farmers and drivers, so that drivers aren’t confused. This is a common-sense bill and I look forward to the support of my colleagues.”