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State Laws & Funding
Wisconsin
Below is a list of the key highway safety laws in Wisconsin. For more information, contact the Wisconsin Bureau of Transportation Safety.
| No state law |
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Handheld Ban | All Cell Phone Ban | Text Messaging Ban | Crash Data |
||||||
| School Bus Drivers | Novice Drivers | All Drivers | School Bus Drivers | Novice Drivers | |||||
| Yes (Primary) (eff. 12/10) |
Covered under all driver ban | ||||||||
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Child Restraint Required unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.) |
Adult Safety Belt Permissible unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.) |
Maximum Fine 1st Offense |
| <1 (or <20) in rear-facing infant seat; 1 - 3 (and 20 - 40) in forward-facing child safety seat; 4 - 7 (and 40 - 80 and <57") in booster seat; <3 in rear seat if available | <8 (and >80 and >57") | $75 |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Per Se Laws for Drugs (Forbidding Prohibited Substances in Driver's Body) | DEC/DRE Programs (Providing Law Enforcement Training) |
| Yes | Yes |
Source: State Highway Safety Offices.
| Admin. License Suspen- sion on 1st Offense |
Limited Driving Privileges During Suspension | Inc. Penalty for High BAC | Open Container Laws | Repeat Offender Laws | Vehicle and License Plate Sanctions | Ignition Interlocks | Alcohol Exclusion Laws Limiting Treatment Opportunity | |
| 6 months | Yes | .17 (.20)(.25) | Yes | Yes | Impoundment, vehicle seizure/ forfeiture |
Mandatory for high BAC (>.15) and repeat convictions | Yes | |
Sources: Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Learner Stage | Intermediate Stage | Full Privilege Min. Age (Yrs./Mos.) |
Required Supervised Driving Hours (Night Hours) |
||||
| Min. Age (Yrs./ Mos.) |
Min. Dura- tion (Mos.) |
Min. Age (Yrs./Mos.) |
Night- time Driving Restriction |
Passenger Restriction* (* family members exempt) |
|||
| 15 / 6 | 6 | 16 | Midnight - 5 a.m. | No more than 1 pass.* | 16 / 9 (Probationary license - requires a sponsor until age 18) |
30 (10) | |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) an
| Motorcyclists | Bicyclists | ||
| Universal Helmet Law (Year Enacted) | Partial Law | Universal Helmet Law Repealed | |
| <18 and all operators w/ instructional permit | 1978 | ||
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Length of Regular Renewal Cycle (Yrs.) | Provisions for Mature Drivers |
| 8 | |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Type of Law | Who is Covered (Yrs.) | In What Seat | Maximum Fine 1st Offense |
| Primary | >8 | All | $10 |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Permitted on Sidewalks/Bicycle Paths | Permitted on Roads | Helmets Required | Minimum Age | Pedestrian Laws Apply |
| Sidewalks | Yes, however localities may prohibit them on certain streets or on streets with speed limits over 25 mph | |||
Sources: Segway LLC and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Checkpoints Conducted? | Comments |
| No | Prohibited by statute |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Rural Interstates | Urban Interstates | Other Limited Access Roads | |||
| Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
| 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| State Law | Violations | Location | Citation Issued To / Liability |
Image / Privacy | Penalties (Traditional Penalties) | Defenses |
| Prohibited | ||||||
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Multiple of Original Fine | Violations Affected | Workers Must Be Present | |
| Double minimum and maximum applicable | Various | Yes | |
Sources: National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse and State Highway Safety Offices.