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 a tow vehicle that is hauling a trailer the vehicle that has the right of way over other vehicles simultaneously approaching the island and would bar other vehicles from entering the roundabout in a manner that interferes with a tow vehicle’s travel. The text also states that a tow vehicle may, "with due regard for all other traffic, deviate from its lane in order to safely approach or pass on the roundabout island." Senator Manzella and witnesses described the change as clarifying expectations and establishing legal protection for drivers towing trailers.

Deputy Director Larry Flynn of the Montana Department of Transportation testified in support and said the berm and red pavement in some roundabouts are designed to accommodate trailer wheels that climb the edge. Flynn called the bill “a good common sense approach” and said DOT believes the language improves safety and functionality. DOT Chief Engineer Dustin Rouse told the committee the department reviewed other states’ laws and found three states with similar statutes; he also said the national committee on the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices is considering signage for multi-lane roundabouts to indicate yielding to trucks.

Committee members asked DOT for crash history comparing roundabouts to the intersections they replaced; Rouse said the department tracks before-and-after crash data and that installed roundabouts in Montana have been effective in reducing serious injuries and fatalities. Representative Clacken asked whether the language would create a “free-for-all”; Flynn answered the bill is targeted to a specific situation and does not remove the duty to drive prudently. Representative Byrne asked how the change would be communicated; Flynn said the department plans public information and signage around affected roundabouts.

Committee members also raised operational questions about roundabout backups, motorists entering the wrong direction, oversized loads, and snowplow clearing. DOT staff said oversized loads are sometimes routed through roundabouts in the opposite direction using pilot vehicles, that maintenance crews typically require multiple passes to clear snow while refining techniques over time, and that DOT would investigate specific locations raised by members, including an east-end Highway 2 roundabout near Poplar.

The hearing closed with Senator Manzella asking for a favorable recommendation; no formal committee vote or final action on the bill was recorded at the hearing.

Ending: The committee closed the hearing on Senate Bill 433; witnesses said DOT would provide crash-history data and investigate the specific roundabout locations mentioned during questions.