HOUSE BILL No. 5961

April 20, 2006, Introduced by Reps. Jones, Bieda, Vander Veen, Miller, Booher, Hansen, Mortimer, Polidori, Steil, Baxter, Gleason, Taub, Stahl, Gosselin and Elsenheimer and referred to the Committee on Transportation.

 

     A bill to amend 1949 PA 300, entitled

 

"Michigan vehicle code,"

 

by amending sections 684 and 685 (MCL 257.684 and 257.685), section

 

685 as amended by 2006 PA 14.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 684. (1)  (a) Every  Except as otherwise provided in

 

subsection (2), a vehicle upon a highway within this state at any

 

time from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise

 

and at any other time when there is not sufficient light to render

 

clearly discernible persons and vehicles on the highway at a

 

distance of 500 feet ahead shall display lighted lamps and

 

illuminating devices as hereinafter respectively required for

 

different classes of vehicles, subject to exceptions with respect

 

to parked vehicles  as hereinafter stated  under section 694. When


 

lighted lamps and illuminated devices are required by law, no

 

vehicle shall be operated upon any highway of this state with only

 

the parking lights illuminated on the front of the vehicle.

 

     (2) A motorcycle or moped operated upon a highway shall at all

 

times display lighted head lamps. If the motorcycle or moped is

 

equipped with a head lamp modulator as permitted under this

 

chapter, the modulator shall only be operated at a time from 1/2

 

hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset.

 

     (3)  (b) Whenever  A requirement  is hereinafter declared as

 

to  of this chapter concerning the distance from which certain head

 

lamps and devices shall render objects visible or within which  

 

such  certain head lamps or devices shall be visible  , said

 

provisions shall apply  applies during the times stated in

 

paragraph (a) of this section  subsection (1) upon a straight,

 

level, unlighted highway under normal atmospheric conditions unless

 

a different time or condition is expressly stated.

 

     (4)  (c) Whenever  A requirement  is hereinafter declared as

 

to  of this chapter concerning the mounted height of head lamps or

 

devices  , it shall mean  is calculated from the center of  such  

 

the mounted lamp or device to the level ground upon which the

 

vehicle stands when  such  the vehicle is without a load.

 

     Sec. 685. (1)  Every  Except as otherwise provided in

 

subsection (2), a motor vehicle  other than a motorcycle or moped,

 

shall be equipped with at least 2 head lamps with at least 1 head

 

lamp on each side of the front of the motor vehicle,  which head

 

lamps shall comply  in compliance with  the requirements and

 

limitations set forth in  this chapter. An implement of husbandry


 

manufactured on or after January 1, 2007 shall comply with section

 

684a.

 

     (2)  Every  A motorcycle  and  or moped shall be equipped with

 

at least 1 and not more than 2 head lamps  which shall  that comply

 

with  the requirements and limitations of  this chapter.

 

     (3) A motorcycle or moped head lamp may be wired or equipped

 

to allow either its upper beam or its lower beam, but not both, to

 

modulate from a higher intensity to a lower intensity. A head lamp

 

modulator installed on a motorcycle or moped with 2 head lamps

 

shall be wired in a manner to prevent the head lamps from

 

modulating at different rates or not in synchronization with each

 

other. A head lamp modulator installed on a motorcycle or moped

 

shall meet the standards prescribed in 49 CFR 571.108.

 

     (4)  (3)  Every head lamp  ,  upon  every  a motor vehicle  ,

 

including every motorcycle and moped,  shall be located at a height

 

measured from the center of the head lamp of not more than 54

 

inches nor less than 24 inches above the level surface upon which

 

the vehicle stands.

 

     (5)  (4)  When a motor vehicle equipped with head lamps as

 

required in this section is also equipped with auxiliary lamps or a

 

spot lamp or any other lamp on the front of the motor vehicle

 

projecting a beam of an intensity greater than 300 candlepower, not

 

more than a total of 4 of those lamps on the front of a vehicle

 

shall be lighted at a time when upon a highway.

 

     (6)  (5)  A motor vehicle licensed as an historic vehicle is

 

exempt from the requirements of this section if the vehicle as

 

originally equipped failed to meet these requirements. An historic


 

vehicle shall not be operated in violation of section 684.