Committee hears bill to give tow vehicles towing trailers explicit right of way in roundabouts

The Montana House Transportation Committee on Friday heard Senate Bill 433, a bill from Sen. Teresa Manzella to add a new section of law that would give tow vehicles pulling trailers a defined right of way when entering roundabouts and allow those tow vehicles to deviate from their lane, with due regard for other traffic, to safely negotiate the roundabout island.

The measure’s sponsor, Senator Teresa Manzella, said the change responds to real-world safety concerns when large tow vehicles pulling trailers do not track on the same line as passenger cars and can be forced against the roundabout’s central berm. “When you are entering the roundabout and your rear tires don't necessarily track, they want to crowd to the inside,” Manzella said, describing an occasion in which animals in her trailer were injured. She asked the committee for a “do pass.”

The bill would add language making…