PRINTER'S NO. 1124
No. 1022 Session of 1987
INTRODUCED BY HUTCHINSON, APRIL 7, 1987
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, APRIL 7, 1987
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
2 Statutes, further providing for tires and bumpers.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Section 4525 of Title 75 of the Pennsylvania
6 Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a subsection to read:
7 § 4525. Tire equipment and traction surfaces.
8 * * *
9 (d.1) Tire width.--
10 (1) It is unlawful for any person to operate or move, or
11 cause or permit to be moved, any vehicle with tires that
12 extend beyond the body line of the vehicle. The vehicle body
13 line shall not be extended by permanent modifications or
14 alterations to the manufacturer specified wheel wells unless
15 a "reconstructed" title is issued in accordance with section
16 1103(g) (relating to specially constructed or reconstructed
17 vehicles). The installation of add-on fender flares, other
1 than flares installed by the original manufacturer, in order
2 to extend the body line is prohibited.
3 (2) This subsection does not apply to any vehicle which
4 is operated under a permit issued in accordance with section
5 4969 (relating to permit for movement of vehicles with
6 oversize wheels and tires) or to vehicles registered as
7 street rods.
8 * * *
9 Section 2. Section 4536 of Title 75 is amended to read:
10 § 4536. Bumpers.
11 (a) General rule.--No person shall operate any vehicle upon
12 a highway without bumpers of a type specified by regulations of
13 the department in both the front and rear unless the vehicle was
14 originally designed and manufactured to be used without bumpers.
15 (b) Height restriction.--
16 (1) No person shall operate any vehicle upon a highway
17 which has been modified by reason of alternation of its
18 altitude from the ground if its bumpers, when level to the
19 ground, measured to any point on the lower edge of the main
20 horizontal bumper bar, exclusive of any bumper guards, do not
21 fall within the allowable limits as listed in the following
22 chart:
23 Registration type Front Bumper Height Rear Bumper Height
24 Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum
25 Passenger cars 16 inch 20 inch 16 inch 20 inch
26 Class 1 truck 16 inch 24 inch 16 inch 26 inch
27 Class 2 truck 16 inch 27 inch 16 inch 29 inch
28 Class 3 truck 16 inch 28 inch 16 inch 30 inch
29 (2) Trucks in Classes 4 through 25 shall meet the same
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1 requirements for front bumper height as Class 3 trucks. Rear
2 end protection shall be afforded as required in 49 C.F.R. §
3 393.86 (relating to rear end protection).
4 (3) If the bumper height, relative to the frame rail,
5 has been altered, or if a vehicle was not originally equipped
6 with a front or rear bumper, or a supplemental bumper has
7 been added, or if the manufacturer specified bumper has been
8 replaced with a bumper not identical to the manufacturer-
9 specified bumper, then the height measurement in paragraph
10 (1) shall be made to the bottom of the frame rail.
11 (c) Exception.--This section shall not apply to any special
12 mobile equipment [or], implement of husbandry or farm truck that
13 is not so equipped by the original manufacturer.
14 Section 3. This act shall take effect in 180 days.
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