Bill Text: MI HB5100 | 2019-2020 | 100th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Traffic control; violations; prohibitions on window tinting and obstruction of driver's vision; eliminate. Amends sec. 709 of 1949 PA 300 (MCL 257.709).

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-11-05 - Referred To Committee On Ways And Means, With Substitute (h-3) [HB5100 Detail]

Download: Michigan-2019-HB5100-Introduced.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE BILL NO. 5100

October 15, 2019, Introduced by Reps. Alexander, Steven Johnson, Mueller, Sabo, Berman, Sheppard, LaGrand, LaFave, Peterson, Chirkun, Sneller and Jones and referred to the Committee on Transportation.

A bill to amend 1949 PA 300, entitled

"Michigan vehicle code,"

by amending section 709 (MCL 257.709), as amended by 2010 PA 258.

the people of the state of michigan enact:

Sec. 709. (1) A person shall not operate a motor vehicle with any of the following:

(a) A sign, poster, nontransparent material, window application, reflective film, or nonreflective film upon or in the front windshield, the side windows immediately adjacent to the driver or front passenger, or the sidewings adjacent to and forward of the driver or front passenger, except that a tinted film may be used along the top edge of the windshield and the side windows or sidewings immediately adjacent to the driver or front passenger if the material does not extend below the vehicle manufacturer's AS-1 line or more than 4 6 inches from the top of the windshield, or lower than the shade band, whichever is closer to the top of the windshield.

(b) A rear window or side window to the rear of the driver composed of, covered by, or treated with a material that creates a total solar reflectance of 35% or more in the visible light range, including a silver or gold reflective film.combined with the glass on which it is installed has a visible light transmittance of less than 35%, plus or minus 5 percentage points, or a visible light reflectance of more than 20%, plus or minus 3 percentage points.

(c) An object that obstructs the vision of the driver of the vehicle, except as authorized by law.

(2) Except as provided in subsection (3) or (4), a person shall not operate a motor vehicle with a sign, poster, nontransparent material, window application, reflective film, or nonreflective film upon or in the side windows immediately adjacent to the driver or front passenger or the sidewings adjacent to and forward of the driver or front passenger.

(3) A person may operate a motor vehicle with side windows immediately adjacent to the driver or front passenger or side wing windows adjacent to and forward of the driver or front passenger that are composed of, covered by, or treated with a material that combined with the glass on which it is installed has a visible light transmittance of 35% or more, plus or minus 5 percentage points, or a visible light reflectance of 20% or less, plus or minus 3 percentage points.

(4) Notwithstanding subsection (3), a professional investigator or court officer may operate a motor vehicle with a material upon or in the side windows immediately adjacent to the driver or front passenger or the side wing windows adjacent to and forward of the driver or front passenger regardless of the visible light transmittance or visible light reflectance of the material. As used in this subsection, "professional investigator" means a person licensed under the professional investigator licensure act, 1965 PA 285, MCL 338.821 to 338.851.

(5) (2) A person shall not drive a motor vehicle if driver visibility through the rear window is obstructed, unless the vehicle is equipped with 2 rearview mirrors, 1 on each side, adjusted so that the operator has a clear view of the highway behind the vehicle.

(6) (3) This section does not apply to any of the following:

(a) The use of draperies, louvers, or other special window treatments, except those specifically designated in this section, on the rear window , or a side window to the rear of the driver if the vehicle is equipped with 2 outside rearview mirrors, 1 on each side, adjusted so that the driver has a clear view of the highway behind the vehicle.

(b) The use of a nonreflective, smoked or tinted glass, nonreflective film, film that combined with the glass on which it is installed has a visible light reflectance of less than 20%, plus or minus 3 percentage points, perforated window screen, or other decorative window application on the rear window. or a side window to the rear of the driver.

(c) The placement of a necessary certificate or sticker that does not obstruct the driver's clear view of the roadway or an intersecting roadway.

(d) A vehicle registered in another state, territory, commonwealth of the United States, or another country or province.

(e) A special window treatment or application determined necessary by a physician or optometrist, for the protection of a person who is light sensitive or photosensitive, if the owner or operator of a motor vehicle has in possession a letter signed by a physician or optometrist, indicating that the special window treatment or application on that motor vehicle is a medical necessity. However, the special window treatment or application shall not interfere with or obstruct the driver's clear vision of the highway or an intersecting highway. This subdivision does not require that the operator of a motor vehicle equipped with a special window treatment or application described in this subdivision be the individual for whom a physician or optometrist considers the treatment or application medically necessary.

(7) (4) Except as provided in subsection (5), (8), the windshield on each motor vehicle shall be equipped with a device for cleaning rain, snow, or other moisture from the windshield, which device shall be so constructed as to be controlled or operated by the driver of the vehicle. A vehicle licensed as an historical vehicle is exempt from this subsection if the vehicle was not originally equipped with such a device. Each windshield wiper upon a motor vehicle shall be maintained in good working order.

(8) (5) A truck with a gross weight over 10,000 pounds, a truck tractor, a bus, or a truck regardless of weight carrying hazardous materials on which a placard is required to be posted pursuant to 49 CFR parts 100 to 199 having a windshield shall be equipped with not less than 2 automatically operating windshield wiper blades, 1 on each side of the centerline of the windshield, for cleaning rain, snow, or other moisture from the windshield. The blades shall be in such a condition as to provide clear vision for the driver, unless 1 blade is so arranged as to clean an area of the windshield extending to within 1 inch of the limit of vision through the windshield at each side. However, in driveaway-towaway operations, this subsection applies only to the operated vehicle. In addition, 1 windshield wiper blade suffices under this subsection when the driven vehicle in a driveaway-towaway operation constitutes part or all of the property being transported and has no provision for 2 blades. A truck and truck tractor, manufactured after June 30, 1953, that depends upon vacuum to operate the windshield wipers, shall be so constructed so that the operation of the wipers is not materially impaired by change in the intake manifold pressure.

(9) (6) A truck with a gross weight over 10,000 pounds, a truck tractor, a bus, or a truck regardless of weight carrying hazardous materials on which a placard is required to be posted under 49 CFR parts 100 to 199 shall not be operated on the highways of this state at any time unless it is equipped with a hot air windshield defroster or an electrically heated windshield or other device to heat and maintain the windshield in operable condition at all times.

(10) If a motor vehicle has side windows immediately adjacent to the driver or front passenger or side wing windows adjacent to and forward of the driver or front passenger that are composed of, covered by, or treated with a material described in subsection (3) or (4), the individual or individuals in the motor vehicle shall cause all side windows immediately adjacent to the driver or front passenger to be fully rolled down if stopped by a police officer.

(11) (7) As used in this section:

(a) "Physician" means that term as defined in section 17001 or 17501 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.17001 and 333.17501.

(b) "Optometrist" means that term as defined in section 17401 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.17401.

Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days after the date it is enacted into law.

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