AN ACT making failure to yield the right‑of‑way to a pedestrian WHILE operating a motor vehicle a class two misdemeanor if the pedestrian is seriously injured, adding a pedestrian safety module to the driver education CURRICULUM, and requiring the division of motor vehicles and the department of public instruction study methods for improving the driver education curriculum with respect to its instruction on public safety.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.(a)  Article 3 of Chapter 20 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:

§ 20‑173. Failure to yield right‑of‑way to pedestrian resulting in serious injury.

Unless the conduct is covered under some other provision of law providing greater punishment, any person who fails to yield the right‑of‑way to a pedestrian as required by this Article and inflicts serious injury to that pedestrian is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.

SECTION 1.(b)  This section becomes effective December 1, 2025, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.

SECTION 2.(a)  G.S. 20‑88.1 reads as rewritten:

§ 20‑88.1.  Driver education.

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(e)        The Division shall develop a training course, training courses or identify an existing training course, courses to educate individuals on both of the following:

(1)        the The safe operation of a motor vehicle within a highway work zone, as defined in G.S. 20‑141.

(2)        When a motor vehicle operator is required to yield the right‑of‑way to a pedestrian.

(f)        With respect to the any training course developed or identified pursuant to this subsection, subsection (e) of this section the Division shall do both of the following:

(1)        Ensure the training course is accessible to the public both in‑person and on its website.

(2)        Develop a method for a person to demonstrate successful completion of the training course.

SECTION 2.(b)  This section becomes effective December 1, 2025.

SECTION 3.(a)  G.S. 115C‑215 reads as rewritten:

§ 115C‑215.  Administration of driver education program by the Department of Public Instruction.

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(b)        The driver education curriculum shall include the following:

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(6)        The highway work zone Any training course developed by the Division of Motor Vehicles pursuant to G.S. 20‑88.1.G.S. 20‑88.1(e).

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SECTION 3.(b)  This section becomes effective December 1, 2025, and applies beginning with the 2026‑2027 school year.

SECTION 4.  The Division of Motor Vehicles of the North Carolina Department of Transportation, in consultation with the Department of Public Instruction, shall study and provide a plan for improving the driver education curriculum with respect to its instruction on pedestrian safety. The Division shall report its findings of this study, including any legislative recommendations, to the North Carolina General Assembly, the chairs of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee, the chairs of the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee, and the Fiscal Research Division no later than January 1, 2026.

SECTION 5.  Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes law.