Chap. 294.—An ACT to amend and re-enact Section 61, as amended, of the Motor
Vehicle Code of Virginia, said section relating to reckless driving, so as to
require all vehicles to come to a full stop whenever a school bus is taking on or
discharging passengers, and to provide that violation of certain laws shall
constitute reckless driving. [H B 313]

Approved March 30, 1942

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, That section
sixty-one, as amended, of the Motor Vehicle Code of Virginia be
amended and re-enacted, as follows:

Section 61. Reckless driving—(a) Irrespective of the maximum
speeds herein provided, any person who drives a vehicle upon a highway
recklessly, or at a speed or in a manner so as to endanger or be likely to
endanger life, limb or property of any person shall be guilty of reckless
driving.

(b) Any person who shall

(1) Drive a vehicle when not under proper control, or with inade-
quate or improperly adjusted brakes upon any highway of this State, or

(2) While driving a vehicle, overtake and pass another vehicle
proceeding in the same direction, upon or approaching the crest of a
grade or upon or approaching a curve in the highway, where the driver’s
view along the highway is obstructed, or

(3) Pass or attempt to pass two other vehicles abreast, moving in
the same direction, or

(4) Overtake and pass any other vehicle proceeding in the same
direction at any steam or electric railway grade crossing, or at any inter-
section of highways, or while pedestrians are passing or about to pass in
front of either of such vehicles, unless permitted so to do by a traffic
light or police officer, or

(5) Fail to stop at a school bus while taking on or discharging
school children, whether going in the same or the opposite direction, or

(6) Fail to give adequate and timely signals of intention to turn,
partly turn, slow down, or stop, as required by section seventy-five of
this act, or

(7) Exceed a reasonable speed under the circumstances and traffic
conditions existing at the time, or

(8) Fail to bring his vehicle to a stop immediately before entering
a highway from a side road when there is traffic approaching upon such
highway within five hundred feet of such point of entrance, shall be guilty
of reckless driving.

(c) Every school bus shall have at the front and rear ends of the
bus a paddle or sign on which shall be plainly painted in capital letters
not less than five inches high the word STOP, and these paddles or signs
shall be conspicuously displayed whenever a school bus stops.

(d) Every person convicted of reckless driving, under this section,
shall, for a first violation, be punished by a fine of not less than ten dol-
lars nor more than one hundred dollars, or by imprisonment in jail for
not more than thirty days, or by both such fine and imprisonment; for
each second or subsequent conviction for the offense of reckless driving,
under this section, committed within twelve months from the date of a
cus. 294,295] _ ACTS OF ASSEMBLY 419

prior conviction for reckless driving, every such person shall be punished
by a fine of not less than fifty dollars, nor more than five hundred dollars,
or by imprisonment in jail for not less than ten days nor more than six
months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

In addition to the foregoing punishment, any justice or court may
suspend any license issued to such convicted person under an act of the
General Assembly, approved March twenty-ninth, nineteen hundred and
thirty-two, and amendments thereof, known, designated and cited as the
Virginia Operators’ and Chauffeurs’ License Act, for a period of not less
than ten days nor more than six months, and such justice or court shall
require such convicted person to surrender his license so suspended. If
such person so convicted has not obtained the license required by the said
act such justice or court may direct in the judgment of conviction that
such person shall not, for such period of not less than ten days nor more
than six months as may be prescribed in the said judgment, drive or
operate any motor vehicle in this State.

It shall be the duty of such justice or court, or the clerk of such
justice or court, to transmit such license to the Director of the Division
of Motor Vehicles, along with the report of such conviction required to
be sent to the division.

If any person shall drive any vehicle upon any highway while his
license is so suspended, or while so forbidden to drive or operate a motor
vehicle in this State, he shall be punished by imprisonment in jail for a
period not less than two days nor more than six months, and there may
be imposed in addition thereto a fine of not more than five hundred
dollars.