AB292: Bill Text

LRB-2190/1

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2001 - 2002 LEGISLATURE

2001 Assembly BILL 292

April 3, 2001 - Introduced by Representatives Wade, Schneider, Townsend, Krawczyk, Powers, Owens, Sykora and Freese, cosponsored by Senator Welch. Referred to Committee on Highway Safety.

AB292,1,3 An Act to amend 347.23 (4) and 347.245 (5); and to create 347.25 (1t) of the statutes; relating to: allowing certain snowplows to be equipped with a flashing, oscillating, or rotating green lamp.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, any vehicle of the department of transportation, or of a county or municipal highway department, that when used upon a highway creates a vehicular traffic hazard requiring the exercise of unusual care by other motorists in approaching, overtaking, or passing may be equipped with a flashing red or amber dome-type lamp, or with two flashing red or amber lamps, one showing to the front and one showing to the rear.

This bill allows, but does not require, certain publicly owned or operated snowplows to be equipped with a green flashing, rotating, or oscillating lamp if the snowplow is not equipped with a flashing red or amber dome-type lamp, or with two flashing red or amber lamps.

Current law also prohibits any person from operating upon the left-hand side of a highway during hours of darkness any motor vehicle used in highway construction or maintenance, including snow and ice control, unless the vehicle or machinery is equipped with an auxiliary lamp projecting a flashing or revolving amber light. This bill allows a snowplow that is equipped with a green lamp to be operated upon the left-hand side of a highway when engaged during hours of darkness in snow and ice control.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB292, s. 1 Section 1. 347.23 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB292,2,18 347.23 (4) No person shall may operate upon the left-hand side of a highway during hours of darkness any road machinery or motor vehicle used in highway construction or maintenance, including snow and ice control, unless such vehicle or machinery is equipped with an auxiliary lamp or lamps projecting a flashing amber light visible from all directions for a 360-degree lens (beehive type lamp) or revolving type lamp and visible front and rear for reflectorized stationary directional type lamps. For flashing type lamps the number of flashes per minute shall be between 60 and 90. For revolving type lamps the revolutions per minute shall be between 45 and 90. The lenses of such auxiliary lamps shall not be less than 6 inches in diameter for the reflectorized stationary directional type lamp; 3-3/4 inches minimum diameter and 5-inch minimum height for the 360-degree lens (beehive type lamp); and 3-3/4 inches minimum width and 4-5/8 inches minimum height for the revolving type lamp. The lamps shall be equipped with bulbs of 50 candlepower minimum. The lamps shall be mounted approximately midway between the transverse extremities of the vehicle or machinery and at the highest practicable point. This subsection does not apply to any snowplow equipped with a flashing, oscillating, or rotating green lamp under s. 347.25 (1t).

AB292, s. 2 Section 2. 347.245 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:

AB292,3,2 347.245 (5) This section does not apply to any vehicle or combination of vehicles to the left rear of which is attached a yellow or amber flashing light at least 4 inches in diameter, or to any snowplow equipped with a flashing, oscillating, or rotating green lamp under s. 347.25 (1t).

AB292, s. 3 Section 3. 347.25 (1t) of the statutes is created to read:

AB292,3,8 347.25 (1t) (a) In this subsection, "snowplow" means a motor vehicle that is operated by a person employed by or on behalf of an authority in charge of the maintenance of the highway to perform highway winter maintenance snow and ice removal, including plowing, salting and sanding, during either a storm or cleanup following a storm.

AB292,3,14 (b) A snowplow may be equipped with a green lamp that is flashing, oscillating, or rotating. The green lamp shall be mounted approximately midway between the extremities of the width of the vehicle and at the highest practicable point and shall be used only for the purpose of warning operators of other vehicles of the presence of the snowplow. This paragraph does not apply to any snowplow that is equipped with lamps authorized under s. 347.26 (7).

AB292,3,15 (End)