SENATE BILL NO. 581 May 6, 1999, Introduced by Senators KOIVISTO, NORTH and MC MANUS and referred to the Committee on Transportation and Tourism. A bill to amend 1949 PA 300, entitled "Michigan vehicle code," by amending section 717 (MCL 257.717), as amended by 1992 PA 257. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT: 1 Sec. 717. (1) The total outside width of a vehicle or the 2 load on a vehicle shall not exceed 96 inches, except as otherwise 3 provided in this section. 4 (2) A person may operate or move an implement of husbandry 5 of any width on a highway as required for normal farming opera- 6 tions without obtaining a special permit for an excessively wide 7 vehicle or load under section 725. The operation or movement of 8 the implement of husbandry shall be in a manner so as to minimize 9 the interruption of traffic flow. A person shall not operate or 10 move an implement of husbandry to the left of the center of the 02341'99 TJS 2 1 roadway from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before 2 sunrise, under the conditions specified in section 639, or at any 3 time visibility is substantially diminished due to weather 4 conditions. A person operating or moving an implement of hus- 5 bandry shall follow all traffic regulations. 6 (3) The total outside width of the load of a vehicle hauling 7 concrete pipe, agricultural products, or unprocessed logs, pulp- 8 wood, or wood bolts shall not exceed 108 inches. 9 (4) Except as provided in subsection (2) AND THIS 10 SUBSECTION, if a vehiclewhichTHAT is equipped with pneumatic 11 tires is operated on a highway, the maximum width from the out- 12 side of 1 wheel and tire to the outside of the opposite wheel and 13 tire shall not exceed 102 inches, and the outside width of the 14 body of the vehicle or the load on the vehicle shall not exceed 15 96 inches. HOWEVER, A TRUCK AND TRAILER OR A TRACTOR AND SEMI- 16 TRAILER COMBINATION HAULING PULPWOOD, UNPROCESSED LOGS, WOOD 17 CHIPS, OR BARK MAY BE OPERATED WITH A MAXIMUM WIDTH OF NOT TO 18 EXCEED 108 INCHES IN ACCORDANCE WITH A SPECIAL PERMIT ISSUED 19 UNDER SECTION 725. 20 (5) The total outside width of a bus or a motor home shall 21 not exceed 102 inches. 22 (6) A vehicle shall not extend beyond the center line of a 23 state trunk line highway except when authorized by law. Except 24 as provided in subsection (2), if the width of the vehicle makes 25 it impossible to stay away from the center line, a permit shall 26 be obtained under section 725. 02341'99 3 1 (7) The director of the state transportation department, a 2 county road commission, or a local authority may designate a 3 highway under the agency's jurisdiction as a highway on which a 4 person may operate a vehicle or vehicle combination which is not 5 more than 102 inches in width, including load, the operation of 6 which would otherwise be prohibited by this section. The agency 7 making the designation may require that the owner or lessee of 8 the vehicle or of each vehicle in the vehicle combination secure 9 a permit before operating the vehicle or vehicle combination. 10 This subsection does not restrict the issuance of a special 11 permit under section 725 for the operation of a vehicle or vehi- 12 cle combination. This subsection does not permit the operation 13 of a vehicle or vehicle combination described in section 722a 14 carrying a load described in that section if the operation would 15 otherwise result in a violation of that section. 16 (8) A person who violates this section is responsible for a 17 civil infraction. The owner of the vehicle may be charged with a 18 violation of this section. 02341'99 Final page. TJS