HOUSE BILL No. 4391


     February 27, 1997, Introduced by Reps. Law, Olshove, Leland, Gernaat, Green, Curtis, Middleton and Galloway and referred to the Committee on Transportation.


        A bill to amend 1949 PA 300, entitled

   "Michigan vehicle code,"

   by amending sections 686, 688, 699, 707, and 710c (MCL 257.686,

   257.688, 257.699, 257.707, and 257.710c), sections 686 and 688 as

   amended by 1990 PA 98 and section 710c as amended by 1991 PA 129,

   and by adding sections 33c and 603a.

               THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 1         SEC. 33C.  AS USED IN THIS ACT, "NEIGHBORHOOD ELECTRIC

 2    VEHICLE" MEANS A 4-WHEELED MOTOR VEHICLE POWERED BY ELECTRICITY

 3    AND DESIGNED TO CARRY NOT MORE THAN 4 PERSONS AT A SPEED OF NOT

 4    GREATER THAN 25 MILES PER HOUR AND HAVING AN UNLOADED WEIGHT OF

 5    NOT MORE THAN 1,800 POUNDS.

 6         SEC. 603A.  (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (2), A

 7    PERSON SHALL NOT OPERATE A NEIGHBORHOOD ELECTRIC VEHICLE ON A

 8    HIGHWAY OF THIS STATE.


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 1         (2) A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THIS STATE MAY BY ORDINANCE

 2    AUTHORIZE AN EMPLOYEE OF THE POLITICAL SUBDIVISION TO OPERATE A

 3    NEIGHBORHOOD ELECTRIC VEHICLE ON A HIGHWAY WITHIN THE POLITICAL

 4    SUBDIVISION'S BOUNDARIES IF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ELECTRIC VEHICLE

 5    COMPLIES WITH ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS OF THIS ACT.  A

 6    NEIGHBORHOOD ELECTRIC VEHICLE MAY BE OPERATED ONLY ON A HIGHWAY

 7    WITH A SPEED LIMIT OF NOT MORE THAN 45 MILES PER HOUR.

 8         (3) THE SECRETARY OF STATE SHALL ISSUE A CERTIFICATE OF

 9    TITLE AND REGISTRATION FOR A NEIGHBORHOOD ELECTRIC VEHICLE IF THE

10    NEIGHBORHOOD ELECTRIC VEHICLE IS TO BE OPERATED ON A HIGHWAY

11    WITHIN A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION.

12         Sec. 686.  (1) A motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, pole

13    trailer, or vehicle which is being drawn in a train of vehicles

14    shall be equipped with at least 1 rear lamp mounted on the rear,

15    which, when lighted as required by this act, shall emit a red

16    light plainly visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear.

17         (2) Either a tail lamp or a separate lamp shall be con-

18    structed and placed so as to illuminate with a white light the

19    rear registration plate and render it clearly legible from a dis-

20    tance of 50 feet to the rear.  A tail lamp or tail lamps,

21    together with any separate lamp for illuminating the rear regis-

22    tration plate, shall be wired so as to be lighted whenever the

23    head lamps or auxiliary driving lamps are lighted.  THIS SUBSEC-

24    TION DOES NOT APPLY TO A NEIGHBORHOOD ELECTRIC VEHICLE.

25         (3) A motor vehicle licensed as an historic vehicle is

26    exempt from the requirements of this section if the vehicle as

27    originally equipped failed to meet these requirements.



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 1         (4) When operated or moved on a highway at the times

 2    specified in section 684, an implement of husbandry shall meet

 3    either of the following requirements:

 4         (a) Display lighted rear lamps which meet the requirements

 5    of subsection (1).

 6         (b) Be accompanied by a vehicle which follows behind the

 7    implement of husbandry at a distance of not more than 50 feet,

 8    illuminates the implement of husbandry with the vehicle's head-

 9    lights, and displays on the rear of the vehicle lighted rear

10    lamps as required by this section.

11         (5) A pickup camper shall be attached to the motor vehicle

12    in a manner so that the registration plate of the motor vehicle

13    is clearly visible.

14         Sec. 688.  In addition to other equipment required in this

15    chapter, the following vehicles shall be equipped as provided in

16    this section under the conditions stated in section 687:

17         (a) On every bus or truck, whatever its size, there shall be

18    the following:

19         On the rear, 2 red reflectors, 1 on each side, and 1 red or

20    amber stop light.

21         (b) On every bus or truck 80 inches or more in overall

22    width, in addition to the requirements in paragraph (a):

23         On the front, 2 clearance lamps, 1 at each side.

24         On the rear, 2 clearance lamps, 1 at each side.

25         On each side, 2 side marker lamps, 1 at or near the front

26    and 1 at or near the rear.





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 1         On each side, 2 reflectors, 1 at or near the front and 1 at

 2    or near the rear.

 3         Three identification lamps, mounted on the vertical center-

 4    line of the vehicle or the vertical centerline of the cab where

 5    different from the centerline of the vehicle, except that, where

 6    the cab is not more than 42 inches wide at the front roofline, a

 7    single lamp at the center of the cab shall be considered to

 8    comply with the requirements for identification lamps.  The iden-

 9    tification lamps or their mounts shall not extend below the top

10    of the vehicle windshield.

11         (c) On every truck tractor:

12         On the front, 2 clearance lamps, 1 at each side.

13         On the rear, 1 stop light.

14         (d) On every trailer, pickup camper, or semitrailer having a

15    gross weight in excess of 3,000 pounds:

16         On the front, 2 clearance lamps, 1 at each side.

17         On each side, 2 side marker lamps, 1 at or near the front

18    and 1 at or near the rear.

19         On each side, 2 reflectors, 1 at or near the front and 1 at

20    or near the rear.

21         On the rear, 2 clearance lamps, 1 at each side, also 2

22    reflectors, 1 at each side, and 1 stop light.

23         (e) On every poletrailer:

24         On each side, 1 side marker lamp and 1 clearance lamp which

25    may be in combination, to show to the front, side, or rear.

26         On the rear of the poletrailer or load, 2 reflectors, 1 on

27    each side.



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 1         (f) On every trailer, pickup camper, or semitrailer weighing

 2    3,000 pounds gross or less:

 3         On the rear, 2 reflectors, 1 on each side if any trailer or

 4    semitrailer is so loaded or is of such dimensions as to obscure

 5    the stop light on the towing vehicle, then such vehicle shall

 6    also be equipped with 1 stop light.

 7         (g)  When  EXCEPT FOR A NEIGHBORHOOD ELECTRIC VEHICLE, WHEN

 8    operated on the highway, every vehicle which has a maximum poten-

 9    tial speed of 25 miles an hour, implement of husbandry, farm

10    tractor, or special mobile equipment shall be identified with a

11    reflective device as follows:

12         An equilateral triangle in shape, at least 16 inches wide at

13    the base and at least 14 inches in height:  with a dark red

14    border, at least 1-3/4 inches wide of highly reflective beaded

15    material;

16         A center triangle, at least 12-1/4 inches on each side of

17    yellow-orange fluorescent material.

18         The device shall be mounted on the rear of the vehicle,

19    broad base down, not less than 3 feet nor more than 5 feet above

20    the ground and as near the center of the vehicle as possible.

21    The use of this reflective device is restricted to use on slow

22    moving vehicles specified in this section, and use of such

23    reflective device on any other type of vehicle or stationary

24    object on the highway is prohibited.

25         On the rear, at each side, red reflectors or reflectorized

26    material visible from all distances within 500 to 50 feet to the

27    rear when directly in front of lawful upper beams of headlamps.



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 1         Sec. 699.  Except as  hereinafter  OTHERWISE provided IN

 2    THIS SECTION,  the head lamps  HEADLAMPS, or  the  auxiliary

 3    driving lamps, or combinations  thereof  OF HEADLAMPS AND AUXIL-

 4    IARY DRIVING LAMPS, on motor vehicles shall be so arranged that

 5    selection may be made between distributions of light projected to

 6    different elevations, subject to the following requirements and

 7    limitations:

 8         (a)  Head lamps  HEADLAMPS shall in all cases emit a white

 9    light.  Auxiliary lamps may emit either a white or amber light.

10         (b) There shall be an uppermost distribution of light, or

11    composite beam, so aimed and of an intensity as to reveal persons

12    and vehicles at a distance of at least 350 feet ahead for all

13    conditions of loading.

14         (c) There shall be a lowermost distribution of light, or

15    composite beam, so aimed and of sufficient intensity to reveal

16    persons and vehicles at a distance of at least 100 feet ahead;

17    and under any condition of loading none of the high intensity

18    portion of the beam shall be directed to strike the eyes of an

19    approaching driver.

20         (d) Every new motor vehicle except motorcycles and mopeds

21    registered in this state which has multiple beam road lighting

22    equipment shall be equipped with a beam indicator, which shall be

23    lighted when the uppermost distribution of light from the  head

24     lamps  HEADLAMPS is in use and shall not otherwise be lighted.

25    The indicator shall be so designed and located that when lighted

26    it will be readily visible without glare to the driver of the

27    vehicle so equipped.



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 1         (E) HEADLAMPS ON NEIGHBORHOOD ELECTRIC VEHICLES MAY, BUT ARE

 2    NOT REQUIRED, TO COMPLY WITH SUBDIVISION (B).

 3         Sec. 707.  (1) A motor vehicle, including a motorcycle or

 4    moped, shall at all times be equipped with a muffler in good

 5    working order and in constant o