This section lets transportation and safety officials create highway safety corridors, requires a public hearing before designating one, and requires signs and penalties for violations.
§267. Highway safety corridor A.(1) The secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development, superintendent of the Louisiana State Police, and the executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission may establish a highway safety corridor program under which critical infrastructure consisting of a portion of highways in the state highway system and interstate highway system may be designated by the secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development as highway safety corridors to address highway safety problems through law enforcement, education, and safety enhancements. (2) After review of all data and studies used in the establishment of a highway safety corridor and the subsequent establishment of the highway safety corridor, the secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development, the superintendent of the Louisiana State Police, and the executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission shall not be liable for any property damages, injuries, or deaths that may arise from any enforcement pursuant to this Section in the highway safety corridor. (3) "Highway safety corridor" means a special segment of a highway that has been identified by data analysts and approved by a majority vote of the Safety Corridor Advisory Group to be locations with a high potential for safety improvement, especially for fatal and serious injury crashes. The primary cause of these crashes is driver behavior such as speeding, aggressive driving, impairment, and distracted driving. (4) "Highway safety corridor violation" means use of a highway safety corridor in a manner not authorized by this Chapter or any regulation promulgated pursuant to this Chapter. B.(1) The Safety Corridor Advisory Group is established and the following members shall serve on the advisory group: (a) The secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development or designee. (b) The superintendent of the Louisiana State Police or designee. (c) The executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission or designee. (d) The Regional Traffic Safety Coalition representative or designee in the Strategic Highway Safety Plan that has jurisdiction over the location of the proposed highway safety corridor. (e) Each chief law enforcement officer, or designee, that has jurisdiction over the location of the proposed highway safety corridor. (f) Each district attorney, or designee, that has jurisdiction over the location of the proposed highway safety corridor. (2) A local medical professional from the local area of the proposed Highway Safety Corridor may be appointed by the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health to serve on the Safety Corridor Advisory Group. (3) The Safety Corridor Advisory Group shall elect a chairman, vice chairman, and secretary from its membership. (4) The members of the Safety Corridor Advisory Group shall serve without compensation and reimbursement of expenses other than compensation and reimbursement provided by their employers. (5) The advisory group shall: (a) Establish objective criteria for designating a segment of highway as a safety corridor, including but not limited to a review of crash data, crash reports, type and volume of vehicle traffic, and engineering and traffic studies. (b) Establish objective criteria for safety enhancements, engineering improvements, infrastructure investments, queue detection systems, extended Motorist Assistance Patrols, or instant tow dispatch and public outreach. C. The secretary shall hold a minimum of one public hearing before designating any specific highway corridor as a highway safety corridor. The public hearing for a specific corridor shall be held at least thirty days prior to the designation at a location as close to the proposed corridor as practical. D. The Department of Transportation and Development shall erect a sign at each end of the highway safety corridor and at appropriate intermediate sites along the corridor indicating that it is a highway safety corridor. E. Any person violating the provisions of this Chapter while on the portion of a highway which is designated as a highway safety corridor shall be fined and penalized as provided in R.S. 32:57(I). F. The Department of Transportation and Development may adopt rules and regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this Section. Acts 2021, No. 478, §1, eff. June 29, 2021; Acts 2022, No. 717, §1, eff. June 18, 2022.