Bill Text: IL SB1808 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Engrossed
Bill Title: Amends the Article of the Illinois Vehicle Code concerning special equipment for school buses. Provides that the Department of Transportation may establish by rule a pilot program to permit the testing of safety equipment not otherwise prohibited by State or federal law.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 4-1)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2022-11-16 - Added Alternate Co-Sponsor Rep. Janet Yang Rohr [SB1808 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2021-SB1808-Engrossed.html
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1 | AN ACT concerning transportation.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by | ||||||
5 | changing Sections 12-812 and 15-102 as follows:
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6 | (625 ILCS 5/12-812) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-812)
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7 | Sec. 12-812. Rules and regulations. (a) The Department may | ||||||
8 | promulgate rules and regulations to more
completely specify | ||||||
9 | the equipment requirements of this Article and may establish | ||||||
10 | by rule a pilot program to permit the testing of safety | ||||||
11 | equipment not otherwise prohibited by State or federal law .
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12 | (b) All rules, regulations and standards promulgated from | ||||||
13 | time to
time by the State Board of Education
and the Department | ||||||
14 | for
the safety and construction of school buses shall be | ||||||
15 | applicable to every
motor vehicle in this State defined as a | ||||||
16 | school bus under Section 1-182.
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17 | (Source: P.A. 81-1508.)
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18 | (625 ILCS 5/15-102) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 15-102)
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19 | Sec. 15-102. Width of vehicles.
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20 | (a) On Class III and non-designated State and local | ||||||
21 | highways, the total
outside width of any vehicle or load | ||||||
22 | thereon shall not exceed 8 feet 6 inches.
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1 | (b) Except during those times when, due to insufficient | ||||||
2 | light or unfavorable
atmospheric conditions, persons and | ||||||
3 | vehicles on the highway are not clearly
discernible at a | ||||||
4 | distance of 1000 feet, the following vehicles may exceed
the 8 | ||||||
5 | feet 6 inch limitation during the period from a half hour | ||||||
6 | before
sunrise to a half hour after sunset:
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7 | (1) Loads of hay, straw or other similar farm products | ||||||
8 | provided that the
load is not more than 12 feet wide.
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9 | (2) Implements of husbandry being transported on | ||||||
10 | another vehicle and the
transporting vehicle while loaded.
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11 | The following requirements apply to the transportation | ||||||
12 | on another vehicle
of an implement of husbandry wider than | ||||||
13 | 8 feet 6 inches on the National System
of Interstate and | ||||||
14 | Defense Highways or other highways in the system of State
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15 | highways:
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16 | (A) The driver of a vehicle transporting an | ||||||
17 | implement of husbandry
that exceeds 8 feet 6 inches in | ||||||
18 | width shall obey all traffic laws and shall
check the | ||||||
19 | roadways prior to making a movement in order to ensure | ||||||
20 | that adequate
clearance is available for the movement. | ||||||
21 | It is prima facie evidence that the
driver of a vehicle | ||||||
22 | transporting an implement of husbandry has failed to | ||||||
23 | check
the roadway prior to making a movement if the | ||||||
24 | vehicle is involved in a
collision with a bridge, | ||||||
25 | overpass, fixed structure, or properly placed traffic
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26 | control device or if the vehicle blocks traffic due
to |
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1 | its inability to proceed because of a bridge, | ||||||
2 | overpass, fixed structure, or
properly placed traffic | ||||||
3 | control device.
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4 | (B) Flags shall be displayed so as to wave freely | ||||||
5 | at the extremities of
overwidth objects and at the | ||||||
6 | extreme ends of all protrusions, projections, and
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7 | overhangs. All flags shall be clean, bright red flags | ||||||
8 | with no advertising,
wording, emblem, or insignia | ||||||
9 | inscribed upon them and at least 18 inches square.
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10 | (C) "OVERSIZE LOAD" signs are mandatory on the | ||||||
11 | front and rear of all
vehicles with loads over 10 feet | ||||||
12 | wide. These signs must have 12-inch high
black letters | ||||||
13 | with a 2-inch stroke on a yellow sign that is 7 feet | ||||||
14 | wide by 18
inches high.
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15 | (D) One civilian escort vehicle is required for a | ||||||
16 | load that exceeds 14
feet 6 inches in width and 2 | ||||||
17 | civilian escort vehicles are required for a
load that | ||||||
18 | exceeds 16 feet in width on the National System of | ||||||
19 | Interstate and
Defense Highways or other highways in | ||||||
20 | the system of State highways.
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21 | (E) The requirements for a civilian escort vehicle | ||||||
22 | and driver are as
follows:
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23 | (1) The civilian escort vehicle shall be a | ||||||
24 | vehicle not exceeding a gross vehicle weight | ||||||
25 | rating of 26,000 pounds that is
designed to afford | ||||||
26 | clear and unobstructed vision to both front and |
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1 | rear.
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2 | (2) The escort vehicle driver must be properly | ||||||
3 | licensed to operate
the vehicle.
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4 | (3) While in use, the escort vehicle must be | ||||||
5 | equipped with illuminated
rotating, oscillating, | ||||||
6 | or flashing amber lights or flashing amber strobe | ||||||
7 | lights
mounted on top that are of sufficient | ||||||
8 | intensity to be visible at 500 feet in
normal | ||||||
9 | sunlight.
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10 | (4) "OVERSIZE LOAD" signs are mandatory on all | ||||||
11 | escort vehicles. The
sign on an escort vehicle | ||||||
12 | shall have 8-inch high black letters on a yellow
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13 | sign that is 5 feet wide by 12 inches high.
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14 | (5) When only one escort vehicle is required | ||||||
15 | and it is operating on a
two-lane highway, the | ||||||
16 | escort vehicle shall travel approximately 300 feet | ||||||
17 | ahead
of the load. The rotating, oscillating, or | ||||||
18 | flashing lights or flashing amber
strobe lights | ||||||
19 | and an "OVERSIZE LOAD" sign shall be displayed on | ||||||
20 | the escort
vehicle and shall be visible from the | ||||||
21 | front. When only one escort vehicle is
required | ||||||
22 | and it is operating on a multilane divided | ||||||
23 | highway, the escort vehicle
shall travel | ||||||
24 | approximately 300 feet behind the load and the | ||||||
25 | sign and lights
shall be visible from the rear.
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26 | (6) When 2 escort vehicles are required, one |
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1 | escort shall travel
approximately 300 feet ahead | ||||||
2 | of the load and the second escort shall travel
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3 | approximately 300 feet behind the load. The | ||||||
4 | rotating, oscillating, or flashing
lights or | ||||||
5 | flashing amber strobe lights and an "OVERSIZE | ||||||
6 | LOAD" sign shall be
displayed on the escort | ||||||
7 | vehicles and shall be visible from the front on | ||||||
8 | the
lead escort and from the rear on the trailing | ||||||
9 | escort.
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10 | (7) When traveling within the corporate limits | ||||||
11 | of a municipality, the
escort vehicle shall | ||||||
12 | maintain a reasonable and proper distance from the
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13 | oversize load, consistent with existing traffic | ||||||
14 | conditions.
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15 | (8) A separate escort shall be provided for | ||||||
16 | each load hauled.
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17 | (9) The driver of an escort vehicle shall obey | ||||||
18 | all traffic laws.
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19 | (10) The escort vehicle must be in safe | ||||||
20 | operational condition.
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21 | (11) The driver of the escort vehicle must be | ||||||
22 | in radio contact with
the driver of the vehicle | ||||||
23 | carrying the oversize load.
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24 | (F) A transport vehicle while under load of more | ||||||
25 | than 8 feet 6 inches
in width must be equipped with an | ||||||
26 | illuminated rotating, oscillating, or
flashing amber |
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1 | light or lights or a flashing amber strobe light or | ||||||
2 | lights
mounted on the top of the cab that are of | ||||||
3 | sufficient intensity to be visible at
500 feet in | ||||||
4 | normal sunlight. If the load on the transport vehicle | ||||||
5 | blocks the
visibility of the amber lighting from the | ||||||
6 | rear of the vehicle, the vehicle must
also be equipped | ||||||
7 | with an illuminated rotating, oscillating, or flashing | ||||||
8 | amber
light or lights or a flashing amber strobe light | ||||||
9 | or lights mounted on the rear
of the load that are of | ||||||
10 | sufficient intensity to be visible at 500 feet in
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11 | normal sunlight.
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12 | (G) When a flashing amber light is required on the | ||||||
13 | transport vehicle
under load and it is operating on a | ||||||
14 | two-lane highway, the transport vehicle
shall display | ||||||
15 | to the rear at least one rotating, oscillating, or | ||||||
16 | flashing light
or a flashing amber strobe light and an | ||||||
17 | "OVERSIZE LOAD" sign. When a flashing
amber light is | ||||||
18 | required on the transport vehicle under load and it is | ||||||
19 | operating
on a multilane divided highway, the sign and | ||||||
20 | light shall be visible from the
rear.
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21 | (H) Maximum speed shall be 45 miles per hour on all | ||||||
22 | such moves or 5
miles per hour above the posted minimum | ||||||
23 | speed limit, whichever is greater, but
the vehicle | ||||||
24 | shall not at any time exceed the posted maximum speed | ||||||
25 | limit.
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26 | (3) Portable buildings designed and used for |
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1 | agricultural and livestock
raising operations that are not | ||||||
2 | more than 14 feet wide and with not more
than a 1 foot | ||||||
3 | overhang along the left side of the hauling vehicle. | ||||||
4 | However,
the buildings shall not be transported more than | ||||||
5 | 10 miles and not on any
route that is part of the National | ||||||
6 | System of Interstate and Defense Highways.
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7 | All buildings when being transported shall display at | ||||||
8 | least 2 red
cloth flags, not less than 12 inches square, | ||||||
9 | mounted as high as practicable
on the left and right side of | ||||||
10 | the building.
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11 | A State Police escort shall be required if it is necessary | ||||||
12 | for this load
to use part of the left lane when crossing any 2 | ||||||
13 | laned State highway bridge.
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14 | (c) Vehicles propelled by electric power obtained from | ||||||
15 | overhead trolley
wires operated wholly within the corporate | ||||||
16 | limits of a municipality are
also exempt from the width | ||||||
17 | limitation.
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18 | (d) (Blank).
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19 | (d-1) A recreational vehicle, as defined in Section 1-169, | ||||||
20 | may exceed 8 feet 6 inches in width if:
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21 | (1) the excess width is attributable to appurtenances | ||||||
22 | that extend 6 inches or less beyond either side of the body | ||||||
23 | of the vehicle; and
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24 | (2) the roadway on which the vehicle is traveling has | ||||||
25 | marked lanes for vehicular traffic that are at least 11 | ||||||
26 | feet in width. |
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1 | As used in this subsection (d-1) and in subsection (d-2), | ||||||
2 | the term appurtenance includes (i) a retracted awning and its | ||||||
3 | support hardware and (ii) any appendage that is intended to be | ||||||
4 | an integral part of a recreation vehicle. | ||||||
5 | (d-2) A recreational vehicle that exceeds 8 feet 6 inches | ||||||
6 | in width as provided in subsection (d-1) may travel any | ||||||
7 | roadway of the State if the vehicle is being operated between a | ||||||
8 | roadway permitted under subsection (d-1) and: | ||||||
9 | (1) the location where the recreation vehicle is | ||||||
10 | garaged; | ||||||
11 | (2) the destination of the recreation vehicle; or | ||||||
12 | (3) a facility for food, fuel, repair, services, or | ||||||
13 | rest.
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14 | (e) A vehicle and load traveling upon the National System | ||||||
15 | of Interstate
and Defense Highways or any other highway in the | ||||||
16 | system of State highways
that has been designated as a Class I | ||||||
17 | or Class II highway by the
Department, or any street or highway | ||||||
18 | designated by local authorities, may have a total outside | ||||||
19 | width of 8 feet 6
inches, provided that certain safety devices | ||||||
20 | that the Department
determines as necessary for the safe and | ||||||
21 | efficient operation of motor
vehicles shall not be included in | ||||||
22 | the calculation of width.
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23 | Section 5-35 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act | ||||||
24 | relating to
procedures for rulemaking shall not apply to the | ||||||
25 | designation of highways under
this paragraph (e).
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26 | (f) Mirrors required by Section 12-502 of this Code and |
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1 | other safety devices
identified by the Department may project | ||||||
2 | up to 14 inches beyond each side of
a bus and up to 6 inches | ||||||
3 | beyond each
side
of any other vehicle, and that projection | ||||||
4 | shall not be deemed a
violation of the width restrictions of | ||||||
5 | this Section.
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6 | (g) Any person who is convicted of violating this Section | ||||||
7 | is subject to
the penalty as provided in paragraph (b) of | ||||||
8 | Section 15-113. | ||||||
9 | (h) Safety devices identified by the Department in | ||||||
10 | accordance with Section 12-812 shall not be deemed a violation | ||||||
11 | of the width restrictions of this Section.
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12 | (Source: P.A. 100-830, eff. 1-1-19 .)
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