Wyoming Gets Tough on Drivers Ignoring Road Closure Signs
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Drivers of semi-trucks with enclosed trailers are being warned that if they ignore Wyoming road closure signs, they could be fined $1,000 and jailed up to 30 days due to a new law that took effect July 1 to reduce blow-over crashes in high winds.
The Wyoming Department of Transportation is getting the word out to drivers of light and high-profile vehicles about the tougher penalties for violating highway closures that are now being enforced throughout the state to improve roadway safety.
The state experiences hurricane-force winds during the summer and winter that have been prompting WYDOT since 2011 to close highway sections to vehicles at risk of blowing over. Drivers of the many out-of-state commercial vehicles passing through Wyoming may be unaware of the high crosswinds that plague the state and contribute to accidents.
“We hope these new penalties will be a better deterrent for drivers who otherwise may decide to test their luck and chance the wind closures to save some time,” said Col. Tim Cameron of the Wyoming Highway Patrol. “We see time and time again that this gamble results in crashes, injuries and lost time for everyone if the road has to close for cleanup.”
WYDOT flashes “blow-over risk” messages on roadside electronic message boards when wind gusts are greater than 50 mph and drivers of light and high-profile vehicles are advised not to travel to avoid strong wind gusts that could result in them losing control of their vehicles or causing vehicles to blow over.
Any driver who fails to heed a “blow-over risk” advisory and is involved in a crash may be fined and have to pay accident cleanup costs/fees to repair damage caused to public or private property.
Wyoming’s tougher stance on ignoring road closure signs arose with this year’s passage during the 67th state Legislature’s 2024 budget session of Senate File No. 0113. The bill was sponsored by state Sen. Stephan Pappas and cosponsored by Sen. Brian Boner and state Reps. Landon Brown and Kevin O’Hearn, all Republicans. Gov. Mark Gordon signed the legislation into law March 15.
Upon conviction, anyone “who willfully fails to observe any sign, marker, warning, notice or direction” for closures to light, high-profile vehicles is guilty of a misdemeanor and can be fined up to $1,000 plus face imprisonment for no more than 30 days. The new law requires anyone found guilty of the offense to pay the required fine.
If a driver is convicted of the same crime within three years of the first offense, the fine increases to $2,500, and the infraction becomes a conviction for reckless driving with possible driver licensing action being taken by state officials.
Consequently, WYDOT is encouraging drivers to be aware of active wind-related highway closures, high-wind warnings and weather sensors by visiting wyoroad.info. Overweight load coordination and information is available from the Wyoming Highway Patrol’s Commercial Carrier website: whp.wyo.gov/commercial-carrier.
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