Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Arkansas Traffic Laws To Change August 1st

Two important changes in Arkansas traffic laws will occur later this summer.

Despite the anxious anticipation by some motorist in the changes, Arkansas State Police want to remind everyone that the old laws are still in effect until the changes in so-called helmet law and restricted left-lane law occur August 1.

Specifically motorcyclist driving on Arkansas roadways are still required to wear protective helmets and goggles or face sheilds until the effective date of the new law.

Another new law will require, "...motor vehicle to be operated in the far right lane of controlled access or other multi-lane highways." The new law is designed to prevent a motorists from operating a vehicle continuously in the left lane of a multi-lane highway and impede the flow of other traffic.

Both changes in the laws were enacted by the Arkansas legislature earlier this year. However, no date of enactment was written into the laws and no emergency clause was attached to the legislation which means the changes won't be recognized by the state police until August 1.

"We want to remind motorists who operate their vehicles on Arkansas highways that these laws are about to change and we hope each licensed driver will become familiar with these changes in the laws," Major Dan Oldham, commander of the Arkansas State Police Enforcement Division, said.

Many motorcyclists have recently been ticketed by state troopers for failure to wear the appropriate protective gear. Some of the cyclists have told troopers they beleived the law had changed, but were unawre of the specific date of the change.

Fines for violations of these laws vary among local courts.