CHAPTER 118

An Act to amend and reenact § 46.1-198, as amended, of the Code of
Virginia, relating to maximum and minimum speed limits. rH 209]

Approved February 28, 1964

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 46.1-1938, as amended, of the Code of Virginia be amended and
reenacted as follows:

§ 46.1-198. The maximum and minimum speed limits on highways
of this State shall be as hereinafter prescribed:

1. Maximum limits.

(a) Sixty-five miles per hour on the Interstate System of Highways
or other limited access highways with divided roadways; if the vehicle is a
passenger motor vehicle, passenger bus, United States post office bus, pick-
up or panel truck not exceeding an actual gross weight of five thousand
pounds, or a motorcycle; and fifty miles per hour on such highways if the
vehicle is a truck, road tractor, tractor-truck, or combination of vehicles
designed to transport property, or is a motor vehicle being used to tow a
vehicle designed for self-propulsion, or a house trailer.

(b) Sixty miles per hour on nonlimited access highways having four
xr more lanes, with the roadway for traffic traveling in one direction
separated from the roadway for traffic traveling in the other direction by a
physical barrier or an unpaved area; if the vehicle is a passenger motor
vehicle, passenger bus, United States post office bus, pick-up or panel
ruck not exceeding an actual gross weight of five thousand pounds, or a
notorcycle; and fifty miles per hour on such highways if the vehicle is a
ruck, road tractor, tractor-truck, or combination of vehicles designed to
ransport property, or is a motor vehicle being used to tow a vehicle de-
signed for self-propulsion, or a house trailer, provided that for such high-
ways such speed has been prescribed by the State Highway Commission, or
ther authority having jurisdiction over highways, after an engineering
ind traffic investigation. On any highway where such speed is prescribed,
he speed shall be plainly indicated upon the highway by signs; and where
he speed limit is indicated by posted signs, there shall be a prima facie
resumption that such engineering and traffic investigation was made.
(c) Fifty-five miles per hour on highways not included in (a) or (b)
if the vehicle is a passenger motor vehicle, passenger bus, United States
post office bus, pick-up or panel truck not exceeding an actual gross weight
of five thousand pounds, or a motorcycle; and forty-five miles per hour on
such highways if the vehicle is a truck, road tractor, tractor-truck, or com-
bination of vehicles designed to transport property, or is a motor vehicle
being used to tow a vehicle designed for self-propulsion, or a house trailer.

(d) Thirty-five miles per hour on any highway other than an tnter-
state highway, if the vehicle is being used as a school bus carrying children,
and forty-five mules per hour on interstate highways.

(e) Forty-five miles per hour on any highway if the vehicle or com-
bination of vehicles is operating under a special permit issued by the
State Highway Commission in accordance with §§ 46.1-330 and 46.1-343.
The State Highway Commission may, however, prescribe a speed limit of
less than forty-five miles per hour on any permit issued in accordance with
§§ 46.1-330 and 46.1-343.

(f) Twenty-five miles per hour between portable signs or fixed
blinking signs placed in or along any highway bearing the word “school.”
Such word shall indicate that school children are present in the immediate
vicinity. Any signs erected under this section shall be placed not more
than three hundred feet from the limits of the school property. If the por-
tion of the highway to be posted is within the limits of a city or town, such
portable signs shall be furnished and delivered by such city or town. If
the portion of highway to be posted is outside the limits of a city or town
such portable signs shall be furnished and delivered by the State Highway
Department. It shall be the duty of the principal or chief administrative
officer of each school or some responsible person designated by the school
board to place such portable signs in the highway at a point not more than
three hundred feet from the limits of the school property and remove such
signs when their presence is no longer required by this subsection. Such
portable or fixed blinking signs shall be placed in a position plainly visible
to vehicular traffic approaching from either direction but shall not be placed
so as to obstruct the roadway. Such portable signs shall be in a position
for thirty minutes preceding regular school hours and for thirty minutes
thereafter and during such other times as the presence of children on such
school property reasonably requires a special warning to motorists. Pro-
vided, however, the governing body of any city or town may, if the portion
of the highway to be posted is within the limits of such city or town, de-
crease the speed limit provided in this subsection, and provided further that
no such decrease in speed limit shall be effective unless such decreased
speed limit is conspicuously posted upon the portable or fixed blinking
signs required by this subsection.

(gz) Twenty-five miles per hour on highways in a business or residen-
tial district, except upon interstate or other limited access highways with
divided roadways.

(h) Thirty-five miles per hour on highways in any city or town, ex:
cept upon interstate or other limited access highways with divided road.
ways.

(i) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a), (b) and (c) o;
this section, the speed limits for passenger motor vehicles while towing
utility, camping or boat trailers not exceeding an actual gross weight o;
bwenty five hundred pounds shall be the same as that for passenger moto:
vehicles.

2. Minimum speed limits.

(a) No person shall drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as t
impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic except when re
duced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law.

(b) Whenever the State Highway Commission or local authoritie:
within their respective jurisdictions determine on the basis of an engineer-
ing and traffic investigation that slow speeds on any part of a highway
consistently impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, the
Commission or such local authority may determine and declare a minimum
speed limit to be set forth on signs posted on such highway below which no
person shall drive a vehicle except when necessary for safe operation or
in compliance with law, provided that such minimum speed limit shall not
apply to a school bus carrying children.

3. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, the State Highway
Commission or other authority having jurisdiction over highways may
decrease the speed limits set forth in subsections 1. (a) through 1. (c) of
this section and may increase or decrease the speed limits set forth in
subsections 1. (f) through 1. (h) of this section on any highway under its
jurisdiction. Such increased or decreased speed limits shall be effective only
when prescribed after an engineering and traffic investigation and when
indicated upon the highway by signs.

Any person violating this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor
and upon conviction shall be punished as provided in § 46.1-16.