HOUSE AMENDED
PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 10, 236, 291 PRINTER'S NO. 965
No. 10 Session of 1979
INTRODUCED BY ORLANDO, DWYER, KUSSE, O'CONNELL, ROMANELLI AND
BODACK, JANUARY 16, 1979
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, JUNE 25, 1979
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
2 Statutes, CHANGING CERTAIN TRUCK AND TRUCK TRACTOR <--
3 REGISTRATION FEES, further providing for studded tires and; <--
4 providing penalties; FURTHER PROVIDING FOR THE WEIGHTS OF <--
5 VEHICLES, AND CHANGING CERTAIN PENALTIES.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Section 4525 SECTIONS 1916, 4525, 4902(E), <--
9 4941(A), 4943, 4945(A) AND 4981(C) of Title 75, act of November
10 25, 1970 (P.L.707, No.230), known as the Pennsylvania
11 Consolidated Statutes, is ARE amended to read: <--
12 § 1916. TRUCKS AND TRUCK TRACTORS. <--
13 THE ANNUAL FEE FOR REGISTRATION OF A TRUCK OR TRUCK TRACTOR
14 SHALL BE DETERMINED BY ITS REGISTERED GROSS WEIGHT OR
15 COMBINATION WEIGHT IN POUNDS ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING TABLE:
16 CLASS REGISTERED FEE
17 GROSS OR COMBINATION
18 WEIGHT IN POUNDS
1 1 5,000 OR LESS $ 39
2 2 5,001 - 7,000 52
3 3 7,001 - 9,000 [84] 100
4 4 9,001 - 11,000 [108] 130
5 5 11,001 - 14,000 [132] 160
6 6 14,001 - 17,000 [156] 190
7 7 17,001 - 21,000 [192] 236
8 8 21,001 - 26,000 [216] 268
9 9 26,001 - 30,000 [252] 315
10 10 30,001 - 33,000 [300] 378
11 11 33,001 - 36,000 [324] 412
12 12 36,001 - 40,000 [342] 438
13 13 40,001 - 44,000 [360] 465
14 14 44,001 - 48,000 [384] 500
15 15 48,001 - 52,000 [420] 550
16 16 52,001 - 56,000 [444] 586
17 17 56,001 - 60,000 [501] 666
18 18 60,001 - 64,000 [552] 740
19 19 64,001 - 68,000 [576] 775
20 20 68,001 - 73,280 [606] 875
21 21 73,281 - 76,000 1064
22 22 76,001 - 78,000 1088
23 23 78,001 - 78,500 1100
24 24 78,501 - 79,000 1112
25 25 79,001 - 80,000 1124
26 § 4525. Tire equipment and traction surfaces.
27 (a) General rule.--No vehicle shall be operated on the
28 highway unless the vehicle is equipped with tires of a type,
29 size and construction approved by the department for the vehicle
30 and unless the tires are in a safe operating condition as
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1 determined in accordance with regulations of the department.
2 (b) Vehicles not equipped with pneumatic tires.--It is
3 unlawful for any person to operate or move, or cause or permit
4 to be moved, in contact with any highway any vehicle equipped
5 with traction or road contact surfaces other than pneumatic
6 tires unless of a type, size and construction permitted by
7 regulations of the department and unless the movement is made
8 under specific conditions allowed by regulations of the
9 department.
10 (c) [Tire] Ice grips and tire studs.--[No vehicle having
11 tires containing studs shall be driven on any highway.] Tires in
12 which ice grips or tire studs of wear resisting material have
13 been installed which provide resiliency upon contact with the
14 road and which have projections not exceeding two thirty-seconds
15 of an inch beyond the tread of the traction surface of the tire
16 shall be permitted between November 1 of each year and April 1
17 of the following year. The Governor may by executive order
18 extend the time tires with ice grips or tire studs may be used
19 when highway conditions are such that such tires would be a
20 safety factor in traveling Commonwealth highways. The use of
21 tires with ice grips or tire studs contrary to the provisions of
22 this subsection shall be unlawful.
23 (d) Tire chains.--Tires chains may be temporarily used on
24 vehicles during periods of snow and ice emergency if they are in
25 conformance with regulations promulgated by the department.
26 (e) Penalty.--
27 (1) Any person violating the provisions of subsection
28 (c) shall be guilty of a summary offense and, upon conviction
29 thereof, shall be sentenced to pay a fine as indicated in
30 paragraph (2) and, in default of payment thereof, shall
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1 undergo imprisonment for not more than 30 days.
2 (2) Fines for violation of subsection (c) relating to
3 the period of use of ice grips or tire studs shall be
4 determined from the following chart based on the period of
5 unauthorized use:
6 April 1 to May 31 $35
7 June 1 to June 30 45
8 July 1 to July 31 55
9 August 1 to August 31 55
10 September 1 to September 30 55
11 October 1 to October 31 55
12 (3) Fines for any other violation of subsection (c)
13 shall be determined according to the chart in paragraph (2)
14 except that fines for violations occurring between November 1
15 to April 1 shall be $10.
16 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately. <--
17 § 4902. RESTRICTIONS ON USE OF HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES. <--
18 * * *
19 (E) PENALTY.--ANY PERSON OPERATING A VEHICLE OR COMBINATION
20 UPON A HIGHWAY OR BRIDGE IN VIOLATION OF A WEIGHT PROHIBITION OR
21 RESTRICTION IMPOSED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) IS GUILTY OF A SUMMARY
22 OFFENSE AND SHALL, UPON CONVICTION, BE SENTENCED TO PAY A FINE
23 OF [$75] $150 PLUS $150 FOR EACH 500 POUNDS, OR PART THEREOF, IN
24 EXCESS OF 3,000 POUNDS OVER THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE WEIGHT.
25 § 4941. MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT OF VEHICLES.
26 (A) GENERAL RULE.--NO VEHICLE OR COMBINATION SHALL, WHEN
27 OPERATED UPON A HIGHWAY, HAVE A GROSS WEIGHT EXCEEDING [73,280]
28 80,000 POUNDS.
29 * * *
30 § 4943. MAXIMUM AXLE WEIGHT OF VEHICLES.
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1 (A) GENERAL RULE.--[NO MOTOR] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN
2 SUBSECTION (B), NO VEHICLE OR COMBINATION [SHALL, WHEN OPERATED]
3 DRIVEN UPON A HIGHWAY[,] SHALL HAVE A WEIGHT UPON [EACH OF TWO
4 ADJACENT AXLES] ANY AXLE IN EXCESS OF THE LESSER OF THE
5 MANUFACTURER'S RATED AXLE CAPACITY OR THE FOLLOWING APPLICABLE
6 WEIGHT:
7 MAXIMUM AXLE WEIGHT IN POUNDS UPON:
8 IF THE CENTER-TO CENTER
9 DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO ONE OF TWO OTHER OF TWO
10 ADJACENT AXLES IS: ADJACENT AXLES ADJACENT AXLES
11 UNDER 6 FEET 18,000 18,000
12 6 TO 8 FEET 18,000 22,400
13 OVER 8 FEET 22,400 22,400
14 (B) VEHICLES AND COMBINATIONS WITH FIVE OR MORE AXLES.--NO
15 VEHICLE OR COMBINATION WITH FIVE OR MORE AXLES DRIVEN ON A
16 HIGHWAY SHALL HAVE A WEIGHT UPON ANY AXLE IN EXCESS OF THE
17 MANUFACTURER'S RATED AXLE CAPACITY, NOR SHALL THE OVERALL GROSS
18 WEIGHT ON ANY GROUP OF TWO OR MORE CONSECUTIVE AXLES ON
19 COMBINATIONS OF VEHICLES WITH AN OVERALL GROSS WEIGHT IN EXCESS
20 OF 73,280 POUNDS EXCEED THAT PRODUCED BY APPLICATION OF THE
21 FOLLOWING FORMULA:
22 W = 500 LN + (12N + 36)
23 ---
24 N-1
25 WHERE W = OVERALL GROSS WEIGHT ON ANY GROUP OF TWO OR MORE
26 CONSECUTIVE AXLES TO THE NEAREST 500 POUNDS, L = DISTANCE IN
27 FEET BETWEEN THE EXTREME OF ANY GROUP OF TWO OR MORE CONSECUTIVE
28 AXLES AND N = NUMBER OF AXLES IN GROUP UNDER CONSIDERATION,
29 EXCEPT THAT TWO CONSECUTIVE PAIRS OF AXLES MAY CARRY A GROSS
30 LOAD OF 34,000 POUNDS EACH, PROVIDED THE OVERALL DISTANCE
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1 BETWEEN THE FIRST AND LAST AXLES OF SUCH CONSECUTIVE PAIRS OF
2 AXLES IS 36 FEET OR MORE.
3 (C) GROSS WEIGHT.--NO VEHICLE OR COMBINATION SHALL BE DRIVEN
4 WITH A GROSS WEIGHT IN EXCESS OF THE SUM OF THE ALLOWABLE AXLE
5 WEIGHTS AS SET FORTH IN THIS SECTION, NOR SHALL ANY VEHICLE OR
6 COMBINATION BE DRIVEN WITH A GROSS WEIGHT IN EXCESS OF THE SUM
7 OF THE MANUFACTURER'S RATED AXLE CAPACITIES.
8 [(B)] (D) LOCATION OF FRONT AXLE OF SEMITRAILER.--NO
9 SEMITRAILER, ORIGINALLY IN THIS COMMONWEALTH ON OR AFTER
10 SEPTEMBER 1, [1973] 1963, AND HAVING TWO OR MORE AXLES, SHALL BE
11 OPERATED UPON A HIGHWAY UNLESS THE FOREMOST AXLE OF THE
12 SEMITRAILER IS AT LEAST 12 FEET FROM THE REARMOST AXLE OF THE
13 TOWING VEHICLE.
14 § 4945. PENALTIES FOR EXCEEDING MAXIMUM WEIGHTS.
15 (A) GROSS WEIGHT VIOLATIONS.--
16 (1) ANY PERSON [OPERATING] DRIVING A VEHICLE OR
17 COMBINATION UPON A HIGHWAY EXCEEDING THE MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT
18 ALLOWED BY SECTION 4941 (RELATING TO MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT OF
19 VEHICLES) OR THE REGISTERED GROSS WEIGHT ALLOWED BY SECTION
20 4942 (RELATING TO REGISTERED GROSS WEIGHT), WHICHEVER IS
21 LESS, IS GUILTY OF A SUMMARY OFFENSE AND SHALL, UPON
22 CONVICTION, BE SENTENCED TO PAY A FINE OF $75 PLUS $75 FOR
23 EACH 500 POUNDS, OR PART THEREOF, IN EXCESS OF 3,000 POUNDS
24 OVER THE MAXIMUM [OR] GROSS WEIGHT OR THE REGISTERED GROSS
25 WEIGHT [ALLOWED].
26 (2) IF THE GROSS WEIGHT OF ANY VEHICLE OR COMBINATION
27 EXCEEDS [73,280 POUNDS] THE APPLICABLE GROSS WEIGHT ALLOWED
28 UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OR (B) OF SECTION 4941, THE FINE IMPOSED
29 UNDER THIS SUBSECTION SHALL BE [DOUBLE THE AMOUNT FOR OTHER
30 WEIGHT VIOLATIONS] DOUBLED.
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1 * * *
2 § 4981. WEIGHING AND MEASUREMENT OF VEHICLES.
3 * * *
4 (C) WEIGHING OF WHEELS OR AXLES.--IF A VEHICLE IS WEIGHED IN
5 MULTIPLE DRAFTS, OR IF ONLY A SINGLE WHEEL OR AXLE OR PAIR OF
6 AXLES IS WEIGHED, A TOLERANCE OF [1%] 3% SHALL BE ALLOWED.
7 * * *
8 SECTION 2. THIS ACT SHALL TAKE EFFECT JULY 1, 1979.
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