Bill Text: CA AB172 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Speed limits: rural areas.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2020-02-03 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB172 Detail]

Download: California-2019-AB172-Introduced.html

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CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 172

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Introduced by Assembly Member Voepel

January 08, 2019

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An act to amend Sections 22406, 22407, 24600, 24607, and 34506.4 of the Vehicle Code, relating to speed limits.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 172, as introduced, Voepel. Speed limits: rural areas.

Existing law generally prohibits a person from driving a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than 65 or 70 miles per hour, as specified. Existing law prohibits a person from driving certain vehicles, such as a motortruck or truck tractor having 3 or more axles or a motortruck or truck tractor drawing any other vehicle, upon a highway at a speed in excess of 55 miles per hour.

This bill would authorize a person to drive a motortruck or truck tractor having 3 or more axles, or a motortruck or truck tractor drawing any other vehicle, in rural areas at a speed of up to 65 miles per hour. The bill would also make conforming changes.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NO   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 Section 22406 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:

22406.

 No person may (a) A person shall not drive any of the following vehicles on a highway at a speed in excess of 55 miles per hour:

(a)

(1) A motortruck or truck tractor having three or more axles or any a motortruck or truck tractor drawing any other vehicle.

(b)

(2) A passenger vehicle or bus drawing any other vehicle.

(c)

(3) A schoolbus transporting any school pupil.

(d)

(4) A farm labor vehicle when transporting passengers.

(e)

(5) A vehicle transporting explosives.

(f)

(6) A trailer bus, as defined in Section 636.

(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of subdivision (a), a person may drive a motortruck or truck tractor having three or more axles, or a motortruck or truck tractor drawing any other vehicle, in rural areas at a speed of up to 65 miles per hour.

SEC. 2.

 Section 22407 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:

22407.

 Whenever If the Department of Transportation or a local authority determines upon the basis of engineering studies and a traffic survey that the speed of 55 miles per hour is more than is reasonable or safe for vehicles mentioned in a vehicle described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 22406, which have 22406 that has a manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or more, in more when descending a grade upon any portion of a highway, the department or local authority, with respect to highways under their respective jurisdiction, jurisdictions, may determine and declare a speed limit of 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, or 20 miles per hour, whichever is found most appropriate to facilitate the orderly movement of traffic and is reasonable and safe, which safe. This declared speed limit shall be effective for such these vehicles when appropriate signs giving notice thereof of the speed limit are erected upon the highway.

SEC. 3.

 Section 24600 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:

24600.

 During darkness every darkness, a motor vehicle which that is not in combination with any other vehicle vehicle, and every vehicle at the end of a combination of vehicles vehicles, shall be equipped with lighted taillamps mounted on the rear as follows:

(a) Every vehicle shall be equipped with one or more taillamps.

(b) Every vehicle, other than a motorcycle, manufactured and first registered on or after January 1, 1958, shall be equipped with not less than two taillamps, except that trailers and semitrailers a trailer or semitrailer manufactured after July 23, 1973, which are that is less than 30 inches wide, may be equipped with one taillamp which that shall be mounted at or near the vertical centerline of the vehicles. vehicle. If a vehicle is equipped with two taillamps, they the taillamps shall be mounted as specified in subdivision (d).

(c) Every vehicle vehicle, or vehicle at the end of a combination of vehicles, subject to described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 22406 shall be equipped with not less than two taillamps.

(d) When If two taillamps are required, at least one shall be mounted at the left and one at the right side respectively at the same level.

(e) Taillamps shall be red in color and shall be plainly visible from all distances within 500 feet to the rear except that taillamps on vehicles manufactured after January 1, 1969, shall be plainly visible from all distances within 1,000 feet to the rear.

(f) Taillamps on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 1969, shall be mounted not lower than 15 inches nor higher than 72 inches, except that a tow truck, in addition to being equipped with the required taillamps, may also be equipped with two taillamps which that may be mounted not lower than 15 inches nor higher than the maximum allowable vehicle height and as far forward as the rearmost portion of the driver’s seat in the rearmost position. The additional taillamps on a tow truck shall be lighted whenever the headlamps are lighted.

SEC. 4.

 Section 24607 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:

24607.

 Every vehicle subject to registration under this code shall at all times be equipped with red reflectors mounted on the rear rear, as follows:

(a) Every vehicle shall be equipped with at least one reflector so maintained as to be plainly visible at night from all distances within 350 to 100 feet from of the vehicle when directly in front of the lawful upper headlamp beams.

(b) Every vehicle, other than a motorcycle or a low-speed vehicle, manufactured and first registered on or after January 1, 1965, shall be equipped with at least two reflectors meeting the visibility requirements of subdivision (a), except that trailers and semitrailers a trailer or semitrailer manufactured after July 23, 1973, that are is less than 30 inches wide, may be equipped with one reflector which that shall be mounted at or near the vertical centerline of the trailer. vehicle. If the vehicle is equipped with two reflectors, they shall be mounted as specified in subdivision (d).

(c) Every motortruck having an unladen weight of more than 5,000 pounds, every trailer coach, every camp trailer, every vehicle, or vehicle at the end of a combination of vehicles, subject to described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 22406, and every vehicle 80 or more inches in width manufactured on or after January 1, 1969, shall be equipped with at least two reflectors maintained so as to be plainly visible at night from all distances within 600 feet to 100 feet from of the vehicle when directly in front of lawful upper headlamp beams.

(d) When more than one reflector is required, at least one shall be mounted at the left side and one at the right side, respectively, at the same level. Required reflectors shall be mounted not lower than 15 inches nor higher than 60 inches, except that a tow truck, in addition to being equipped with the required reflectors, may also be equipped with two reflectors which that may be mounted not lower than 15 inches nor higher than the maximum allowable vehicle height and as far forward as the rearmost portion of the driver’s seat in the rearmost position. Additional reflectors of a type meeting requirements established by the department may be mounted at any height.

(e) Reflectors on truck tractors may be mounted on the rear of the cab. Any reflector installed on a vehicle as part of its original equipment prior to January 1, 1941, need not does not have to meet the requirements of the department provided if it meets the visibility requirements of described in subdivision (a).

(f) Area reflectorizing material may be used in lieu of the reflectors required or permitted in subdivisions (a), (b), (c), (d), and (e), provided if each installation is of sufficient size to meet the photometric requirement for those reflectors.

SEC. 5.

 Section 34506.4 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:

34506.4.

 (a) Any member of the Department of the California Highway Patrol may remove from the highway and have placed in a storage facility, any vehicle described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 22406, subdivision (g) of Section 34500, and any motortruck with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds, which that is in an unsafe condition.

(b) Any member of the Department of the California Highway Patrol may impound any farm labor vehicle operated in violation of subdivision (b) of Section 2800, subdivision (a) of Section 24002.5, or subdivision (a) of Section 31402, subject to the following requirements:

(1) A farm labor vehicle impounded for a first violation of subdivision (b) of Section 2800, subdivision (a) of Section 24002.5, or subdivision (a) of Section 31402 may be released within 24 hours upon delivery to the impounding authority of satisfactory proof that the vehicle will be legally moved or transported to a place of repair.

(2) A farm labor vehicle shall be impounded for not less than 10 days for a second violation of subdivision (b) of Section 2800, subdivision (a) of Section 24002.5, or subdivision (a) of Section 31402, or any combination of two of those provisions, if the original equipment or maintenance violation has not been repaired to comply with existing the law. The farm labor vehicle shall be released after 10 days upon delivery to the impounding authority of satisfactory proof that the vehicle has been repaired to comply with existing the law, or upon delivery to the impounding agency of satisfactory proof that the vehicle will be lawfully moved or transported to a place of repair.

(3) A farm labor vehicle shall be impounded for not less than 30 days for a third or subsequent violation of subdivision (b) of Section 2800, subdivision (a) of Section 24002.5, or subdivision (a) of Section 31402, or any combination of three or more of those provisions, if the original equipment or maintenance violation has not been repaired to comply with existing the law. The farm labor vehicle shall be released after 30 days upon delivery to the impounding authority of satisfactory proof that the vehicle has been repaired to comply with existing the law, or upon delivery to the impounding agency of satisfactory proof that the vehicle will be lawfully moved or transported to a place of repair.

(c) All towing and storage fees for a vehicle removed under this section shall be paid by the owner.