Committee hears bill to classify striking an authorized emergency vehicle as infraction

Senate Bill 2132, which would add “authorized emergency vehicle” to the definition of careless driving in North Dakota law, was the subject of a hearing before the North Dakota Senate Transportation Committee. The bill’s sponsor, Senator Dean Rommel, introduced the measure and multiple public-safety organizations testified in favor.

Rommel said the change aims to bring the legal protection for emergency vehicles in line with what snowplow operators already have under state law. “There’s no defense to losing control of a vehicle and striking an emergency vehicle that has its lights activated,” Rommel said while introducing the bill.

The bill’s backers told the committee the change would make striking an emergency vehicle an infraction — the same category that now applies to snowplow crashes — with a maximum penalty of $1,000 and a…