House Bill 275 revises North Carolina traffic law in two related ways. First, it clarifies and restates the right-of-way rules for blind and partially blind pedestrians at crossings and intersections, including when a pedestrian is using a white cane or is accompanied by a guide dog. The bill keeps the existing requirement that drivers stop and remain stopped until the pedestrian has safely completed crossing, and it continues to make failure to yield to a blind or partially blind pedestrian a Class 2 misdemeanor.
Second, the bill increases the penalty for certain failure-to-yield offenses when the violation causes serious bodily injury but not death. Under the amended statute, a person convicted of that offense would be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor and subject to a $500 fine and a 90-day suspension of the person’s driver’s license or commercial driver’s license. The bill defines “serious bodily injury” to include injuries involving a substantial risk of death, extreme pain, disfigurement, or long-term loss or impairment of bodily function.
Impact
The bill amends G.S. 20-175.2 and G.S. 20-160.1, affecting North Carolina’s motor vehicle and pedestrian right-of-way laws. It preserves existing protections for blind and partially blind pedestrians while adding a more explicit penalty structure for failure-to-yield offenses that result in serious bodily injury. The measure also creates a mandatory fine and license suspension consequence for covered violations, affecting drivers and commercial drivers statewide. The act applies only to offenses committed on or after December 1, 2026.
Sentiment
The available voting record suggests broad support for the bill, with the House passing second reading 111-0. No committee transcript is available, but the unanimous vote indicates little visible opposition at that stage. The bill’s subject matter—pedestrian safety and penalties for dangerous driving conduct—appears to have been viewed favorably by members.
Contention
There is no recorded committee debate in the provided materials, so specific objections are not documented. The most likely points of policy interest are the increased criminal and licensing penalties for failure-to-yield offenses and the scope of the new consequences when serious bodily injury occurs. Any concern would likely center on whether the mandatory fine and 90-day license suspension are proportionate, especially for drivers whose conduct falls under the amended failure-to-yield provisions.