Bill Text: MN SF335 | 2011-2012 | 87th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Motor vehicle lighting display requirements expansion

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-02-17 - Referred to Transportation [SF335 Detail]

Download: Minnesota-2011-SF335-Introduced.html

1.1A bill for an act
1.2relating to traffic regulations; expanding requirement of display of vehicle
1.3lighting;amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 169.48.
1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5    Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 169.48, is amended to read:
1.6169.48 VEHICLE LIGHTING.
1.7    Subdivision 1. Lights to be displayed. (a) Every vehicle upon a highway within
1.8this state:
1.9(1) at any time from sunset to sunrise;
1.10(2) at any time when it is raining, snowing, sleeting, or hailing; and
1.11(3) at any other time when visibility is impaired by weather, smoke, fog or other
1.12conditions or there is not sufficient light to render clearly discernible persons and vehicles
1.13on the highway at a distance of 500 feet ahead;
1.14shall display lighted headlamps, lighted tail lamps, and illuminating devices, as hereinafter,
1.15respectively, required for different classes of vehicles, subject to exceptions with respect
1.16to parked vehicles and law enforcement vehicles, as hereinafter stated. In addition to
1.17the other requirements of this paragraph, every school bus transporting children upon a
1.18highway within this state, at any time from a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after
1.19sunset, shall display lighted headlamps, lighted tail lamps, and illuminating devices as
1.20required by this paragraph, except that the operator shall use the lowermost distribution of
1.21light specified in section 169.60 unless conditions warrant otherwise.
1.22(b) When requirement is hereinafter declared as to the distance from which certain
1.23lamps and devices shall render objects visible or within which such lamps or devices
2.1shall be visible, these provisions shall apply during the time stated in this section upon a
2.2straight level unlighted highway under normal atmospheric conditions unless a different
2.3time or condition is expressly stated and unless otherwise specified the location of lamps
2.4and devices shall refer to the center of such lamps or devices. Parking lamps shall not be
2.5used in lieu of headlamps to satisfy the requirements of this section.
2.6    Subd. 2. Certain violations; negligence. Notwithstanding section 169.96, a
2.7violation of subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (2), is not negligence per se or prima facie
2.8evidence of negligence.
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