are Intended to be prohibited,and atatutee of thle type have been more favorably received by the courts than those described In the preceding paragraph. The,proviaIonunder consldera- tlon here appetia to.fall Into this latter category. A eimIlar statute prohlbltltig motorlats from driving In excess of 5 reasonable and , "having regard to $he width, traffic a@ uae~of .thehighways and the Hon. Joseph C.~Te& 3~, (V-1562,). '
clalo~a"~wh~ch;:q~~d~e~~ the salldlty'of::AFt.~~f~.aL27a, ~Sectlon8, V.p;C'.."ae 'it retids:'$&fa~.. 'Bowt,3&i '&$lcEJe 794; V*P';C.,~.Bbr6iwita.r&pa&l'Bj'~~e.iprovuaian.rifrder,~ conslde$~~$~n~h~ce;:bl+z!i$ng "al~.~otor,a~'ic2ee",ga~,a- lng each other"~.fo.'redi~e"thei+ speed-to,f9 %eg&'&les per hour, wallupheld over the objection that the quoted
Taken as a whole, Article 8i7a,'&&iOn'8,' V.P.C.) Is an attempt to establish various maximum epeed limit8 for motor vehicles oper&tIng under all coricelvable driving conditions. Subaactlon l(a), with which we are speclflcallyconcerned here, '&ale with the operation of vehlclea under clrcumetanceewhere special hazards exist, and the speoI+,~~ga~s vh$@thq framare of the Act had in mlnd,are,apel~~&-opt:j& detail;' The speeg llmlts in thlb-partld~~~~"~~ba~ctlo~'~~~,not I+$ forth in term of miles per 'ho& i&i rathek-'by 'the stUdard.'of'what la reasonable and prudent under the clrcninstaaeea. However, subsection l(b) prescribes deflnlte mll~e per hour speed llmlta for different types of vehIC&es opera- ting under normal conditions, "where no epeclal hazard exists that re uires lower speed for compliance with subsectionl(a7 of this section." In other words, aub- section l(b) authorizes a motorist to drive his automobile at the rate of sixty miles per hour on an open highway . . -
Hon. Joseph C . Ternua, page., ~4,,(V;l2@)..
under normal daylight,operating .oudltloqs,, but subsection l(a) requires that he reduce. ~hle ?$eed In ajreagonable and prudent manner.~when he approaches,a;hataid :nuchan a curve,,'the crest of 'a hill, qr;aii..Intereet&on,,. _:/-'I ~' xt is dirriqult to p~Bdict:'ir~at.-:8~tl~~'thi appellate courts. :will~ take with .,r6@ecli' to any given penal statute which has 'been~attached a@ vague,.and IndeflalteF~ Such lava are frequeri%ly &all,enged on" this ground, an\f.'eachcase a&ems,to;,Y,&adl:'on Its own merits. However, It lr Important' to 'note that'the nature of the offense created Is always of vita& lm-
j=iai& sufficiently, defInlte:& 'I&rlod of lf;e,,,. peraopr or average'lnteP1Igence of,++e'Ii.,,$ible: aetq" it creates; If~:.jjrovIde .a.. somewhat ,J ., ~. ; 'fIeqlb~i.,sfiazju$@~ but fin 'the field'of'tr fig regulation,abgolute~' and lnflexlble +?+aa~~ds, are"not.alirayapq# ecld pratitlcable anddealrabIe. -ft.'ls th@@fi$*e our oplni that Article 827a. Section a, .SubaectIob'~l(a), v2.c:
.~T,','. .-.: W.idi 827;; 'seotioq.;J8;&&&&&. l(k), Y.P.C., ekitablIf+hlng:~ f.1ta;'rbr epeebl..lI motor vehldleq ope~atlng.underi%@d ,tiona: ,, j_-,
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i: AL Bon. Joseph C. Temua, page 5, (v-1562).
where special hazards exist, describes with sufficient certainty'the,orfensethat It Is intended to prohibit and therefore 1,s constltutlonal.
Yours very truly, APPROVED: PRICE DAHIEL Wllllam S. Lott 'AttorneyQeneral &ate Affairs Division Mary Kate Wall caL+ B&.4&3&. heviewing AsslQtant BY. Calvin ~B.Garwood, Jr. Charles Di Xathewa .' Asslatant &rat Assistant ,~
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