By Bob Katzen

The House gave initial approval to a bill that would prohibit any car carriers delivering cars to a dealership from parking on a public street or highway. A car carrier operator who violates this law would be subject to a $250 fine and potential license suspension. The carrier company is also subject to forfeiting its carrying permit.

Supporters said that regular drivers are often forced to take evasive action, on short notice, to avoid a collision with the haphazardly parked car carrier and the vehicles being offloaded and driven perpendicular to traffic to their dealership destinations.

“Like many Peabody residents who drive on Route 114, I experience first-hand the risky and dangerous practice of car carriers unloading their vehicles in the center lane and driving across several lanes of oncoming traffic to reach the dealerships,” said Rep. Tom Walsh (D-Peabody). “To protect roadway user safety, we filed this common-sense legislation to explicitly outlaw this practice and provide our police the tools they need to enforce the law accordingly.”