CHAPTER 408

An Act to amend and reenact § 46.1-198, as amended, of the Code 0;
Virginia, relating to maximum and minimum speed limits. rH 2197

Approved March 31, 1964

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 46.1-198 as amended, of the Code of Virginia be amended and
reenacted as follows: ;

§ 46.1-1938. The maximum and minimum speed limits on highways
of this State shall be as hereinafter prescribed :

. 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 thou-
sand 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
or more lanes, with the roadway for traffic traveling in one direction sepa-
rated 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
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 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
other authority having jurisdiction over highways, after an engineering and
traffic investigation. On any highway where such speed is prescribed, the
speed shall be plainly indicated upon the highway by signs; and where the
speed limit is indicated by posted signs, there shall be a prima facie pre-
sumption 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 if the vehicle is being
used as a school bus carrying children.

(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 46.1-348. 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
38 46.1-330 and 46.1-343.

(f) Twenty-five miles per hour between portable signs, tilt over 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 * vicinity. Any signs erected under this section shall be placed not
more than three hundred feet from the limits of the school property or
crossing in the vicinity of the school, which is used by children going to
and from the school; provided that such crossings are not more than 500
yards from the limits of the school property and the Department of High-
ways or the Council of the City or Town approves the said crossing for
such signs. If the portion 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 desig-
nated by the school board, preferably not a classroom teacher, to place
such portable signs in the highway at a point not more than three hun-
dred feet from the limits of the school property and remove such signs
when their presence is no longer required by this subsection. Such portable,
tilt over signs, 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, tilt over
signs, or blinking signals shall be in a position, or be turned on, 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 or going to and from school reasonably requires a special warn-
ing to motorists. Provided, however, that 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, decrease the speed limit provided in this sub-
section, and provided further that no such decrease in speed limit shall
be effective unless such decreased speed limit is conspicuously posted upon
the portable stgns, tilt over signs, or fixed blinking signs required by this
subsection.

(g) 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, except
upon interstate or other limited access highways with divided roadways.

2. Minimum speed limits.

(a) No person shall drive a motor vehicle at such a slow speed as to
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 authorities
within their respective jurisdictions determine on the basis of an engineer
and traffic investigation that slow speeds on any part of a highway con-
sistently impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, the Com-
mission 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.

_ 8. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, the State Highway Com-
mission 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 pre-
scribed 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.