Posted: | November 25, 2019 11:41 AM |
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From: | Senator Daniel Laughlin |
To: | All Senate members |
Subject: | Increasing the Width of Multipurpose Agricultural Vehicles |
In the near future, I plan on introducing legislation that would increase the width of multipurpose agricultural vehicles that are allowed on public roadways in limited circumstances. Farmers are able to use vehicles, commonly known as all-terrain vehicles and “side by side” type vehicles, on roadways, provided they are traveling in a very limited radius from the farm. Currently, our vehicle code recognizes a multipurpose agriculture vehicle as being up to 62 inches wide; however, many newer models of MAVs are up to 64 inches wide. By using these vehicles on roadways, our farmers are now finding themselves in a potential violation of the vehicle code. This legislation would simply clarify that a multiple purpose agriculture vehicle can be up to 66 inches wide for the purpose of limited movement on roadways. This legislation will in no way increase the distances that farmers are able to travel, nor roll back any type of safety measures that farmers have to take in order to use these vehicles on the road. It is similar to efforts that farmers undertook earlier this year to increase the allowable width of implements of husbandry that can operate on roadways. That bipartisan initiative resulted in Act 28 of 2019. Please join me in cosponsoring this important piece of legislation. |
Introduced as SB995