PRINTER'S NO. 3109

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 2242 Session of 1984


        INTRODUCED BY LLOYD AND PISTELLA, JUNE 5, 1984

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, JUNE 5, 1984

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
     2     Statutes, regulating animal-drawn vehicles.

     3     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     4  hereby enacts as follows:
     5     Section 1.  Section 1302(a)(7) of Title 75 of the
     6  Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
     7  § 1302.  Vehicles exempt from registration.
     8     (a)  General rule.--The following types of vehicles are
     9  exempt from registration:
    10         * * *
    11         (7)  Any vehicle moved solely by human [or animal] power.
    12         * * *
    13     Section 2.  Title 75 is amended by adding a section to read:
    14  § 1933.  Animal-drawn vehicles.
    15     (a)  Annual fee.--The annual fee for registration of an
    16  animal-drawn vehicle shall be the same as the annual fee for
    17  registration of a passenger car.


     1     (b)  Use of funds.--In addition to the other purposes for
     2  which vehicle registration fees may be used, the department may
     3  use the annual fee for registration of an animal-drawn vehicle
     4  for the construction and maintenance of roadways for the
     5  exclusive use of animal-drawn vehicles.
     6     (c)  Proof of financial responsibility.--An animal-drawn
     7  vehicle for which an annual fee for registration is required
     8  under this section shall also be required to comply with
     9  Subchapter H of Chapter 17 (relating to proof of financial
    10  responsibility) as though it were a passenger car.
    11     Section 3.  Sections 3364(b), 4303(c) and 4525 of Title 75
    12  are amended to read:
    13  § 3364.  Minimum speed regulation.
    14     * * *
    15     (b)  Slow moving vehicle to drive off roadway.--Except when
    16  reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance
    17  with law, whenever any person drives a vehicle, including an
    18  animal-drawn vehicle, upon a roadway having width for not more
    19  than one lane of traffic in each direction at less than the
    20  maximum posted speed and at such a slow speed as to impede the
    21  normal and reasonable movement of traffic, the driver shall, at
    22  the first opportunity when and where it is reasonable and safe
    23  to do so and after giving appropriate signal, drive completely
    24  off the roadway and onto the berm or shoulder of the highway.
    25  The driver may return to the roadway after giving appropriate
    26  signal only when the movement can be made in safety and so as
    27  not to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic.
    28     * * *
    29  § 4303.  General lighting requirements.
    30     * * *
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     1     (c)  Turn signals and hazard warning lights.--Every motor
     2  vehicle, except motorcycles and pedalcycles, [and] every trailer
     3  and every animal-drawn vehicle other than an implement of
     4  husbandry operated on a highway shall be equipped with a system
     5  of turn signal lights and hazard warning lights in conformance
     6  with regulations of the department.
     7     * * *
     8  § 4525.  Tire equipment and traction surfaces.
     9     (a)  General rule.--No vehicle shall be operated on the
    10  highway unless the vehicle is equipped with tires of a type,
    11  size and construction approved by the department for the vehicle
    12  and unless the tires are in a safe operating condition as
    13  determined in accordance with regulations of the department.
    14     (b)  Vehicles not equipped with pneumatic tires.--It is
    15  unlawful for any person to operate or move, or cause or permit
    16  to be moved, in contact with any highway any vehicle equipped
    17  with traction or road contact surfaces other than pneumatic
    18  tires unless of a type, size and construction permitted in
    19  subsection (c) or by regulations of the department and unless
    20  the movement is made under specific conditions allowed by
    21  regulations of the department.
    22     (c)  Animal-drawn vehicles.--It is unlawful for any person to
    23  operate or move on any highway an animal-drawn vehicle, other
    24  than an implement of husbandry, having any metal wheel in
    25  contact with the roadway. Every animal-drawn vehicle, other than
    26  an implement of husbandry, operated on a highway shall be
    27  equipped with pneumatic tires or solid rubber tires of a type,
    28  size and construction approved by the department and shall be in
    29  safe operating condition as determined in accordance with
    30  department regulations. For the purposes of this subsection,
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     1  solid rubber tires are tires of rubber or other resilient
     2  material which do not depend upon compressed air for support of
     3  the load and have rubber on the entire traction surface, at
     4  least one inch thick, above the edge of the flange of the entire
     5  periphery.
     6     [(c)] (d)  Ice grips and tire studs.--Tires in which ice
     7  grips or tire studs of wear resisting material have been
     8  installed which provide resiliency upon contact with the road
     9  and which have projections not exceeding two thirty-seconds of
    10  an inch beyond the tread of the traction surface of the tire
    11  shall be permitted between November 1 of each year and April 1
    12  of the following year. The Governor may by executive order
    13  extend the time tires with ice grips or tire studs may be used
    14  when highway conditions are such that such tires would be a
    15  safety factor in traveling Commonwealth highways. The use of
    16  tires with ice grips or tire studs contrary to the provisions of
    17  this subsection shall be unlawful.
    18     [(d)] (e)  Tire chains.--Tire chains may be temporarily used
    19  on vehicles during periods of snow and ice emergency if they are
    20  in conformance with regulations promulgated by the department.
    21     [(e)] (f)  Penalty.--
    22         (1)  Any person violating the provisions of subsection
    23     [(c)] (d) shall be guilty of a summary offense and, upon
    24     conviction thereof, shall be sentenced to pay a fine as
    25     indicated in paragraph (2) and, in default of payment
    26     thereof, shall undergo imprisonment for not more than 30
    27     days.
    28         (2)  Fines for violation of subsection [(c)] (d) relating
    29     to the period of use of ice grips or tire studs shall be
    30     determined from the following chart based on the period of
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     1     unauthorized use:
     2             April 1 to May 31                   $35
     3             June 1 to June 30                    45
     4             July 1 to July 31                    55
     5             August 1 to August 31                55
     6             September 1 to September 30          55
     7             October 1 to October 31              55
     8         (3)  Fines for any other violation of subsection [(c)]
     9     (d) shall be determined according to the chart in paragraph
    10     (2) except that fines for violations occurring between
    11     November 1 [to] and April 1 shall be $10.
    12     Section 4.  Title 75 is amended by adding a section to read:
    13  § 4586.  Application to animal-drawn vehicles.
    14     (a)  Child passenger protection.--A parent or legal guardian
    15  of a child under four years of age who is operating an animal-
    16  drawn vehicle registered in this Commonwealth, other than an
    17  implement of husbandry, shall fasten the child securely in a
    18  passenger restraint system, as prescribed by regulations of the
    19  department.
    20     (b)  General applicability.--All of the provisions of this
    21  subchapter shall be applicable to animal-drawn vehicles
    22  registered in this Commonwealth, other than implements of
    23  husbandry, except insofar as those provisions are inconsistent
    24  with subsection (a) or, by their very nature, can have no
    25  application.
    26     Section 5.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.



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