HB0123 - Motor vehicle chain law.
|
2001 |
State of Wyoming |
01LSO-0236 |
HOUSE BILL NO. HB0123
Motor vehicle chain law.
Sponsored by: Representative(s) Rose and Johnson, W.
A BILL
for
1 AN ACT relating to motor
vehicles; amending requirements
2 for
use of tire chains on motor vehicles as specified;
3 providing
penalties; providing a definition; and providing
4 for
an effective date.
5
6 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
7
8 Section
1. W.S.
31-5-956(e) and by creating new
9
subsections (j) and (k) is amended to read:
10
11 31-5-956. Tires; restriction of travel
under
12 hazardous conditions; penalties.
13
14 (e) Travel on a highway may be restricted to all
wheel
drive vehicles or motor vehicles equipped with tire
chains
or adequate snow tires when the superintendent or
his
authorized representative determines that travel is
Page 1
1 sufficiently hazardous due to snow, ice or other
conditions. When the superintendent or his authorized
3 representative determines that travel
is sufficiently
4 hazardous due to snow, ice or other
conditions, travel on a
5 highway may be restricted to use only
by motor vehicles
6 equipped with adequate snow tires or
tire chains, or motor
7 vehicles that are all-wheel drive
vehicles. Additionally,
8 the superintendent or his authorized
representative may
9 further restrict travel in extremely
hazardous conditions
10 to
use only by those vehicles equipped with tire chains or
11 to
all-wheel drive vehicles equipped with adequate snow
12 tires
with a mud and snow or all-weather rating from the
13 manufacturer
having a tread of sufficient abrasive or skid-
14 resistant
design or composition and depth to provide
15 adequate
traction under existing driving conditions during
16 storms
or when other dangerous driving conditions exist.
17 The
prohibition or restriction of use shall be effective
18 when
signs, including temporary or electronic signs, giving
19 notice
thereof are erected upon that portion of the
20 highway,
and it shall be unlawful to proceed in violation
21 of
the notice. The operator of a commercial vehicle with
22 four
(4) or more drive wheels shall affix tire chains to at
23 least
two (2) of the drive wheels of the vehicle at
24 opposite
ends of the same drive axle when the vehicle is
Page 2
1 required to be equipped with tire chains under this
2 subsection. The state highway patrol
shall cooperate with
3 the department in the enforcement of
any closing or
4 restriction of use under this
subsection.
5
6 (j) Any person who
operates a motor vehicle in
7 violation of restrictions imposed by
the department or the
8 highway patrol under subsection (e) of
this section is
9 guilty of a misdemeanor and upon
conviction shall be
10 subject
to a penalty of not more than two hundred fifty
11 dollars
($250.00). Any person who operates a motor vehicle
12 in
violation of restrictions imposed by the department or
13 the
highway patrol under subsection (e) of this section,
14 where
the result of the violation is an incident that
15 causes
the closure of all lanes in one (1) or both
16 directions
of the highway, is guilty of a misdemeanor and
17 upon
conviction shall be subject to a penalty of not more
18 than
seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00).
19
20 (k) As used in this section, "tire chains" means
21 metal
chains which consist of two (2) circular metal loops,
22 one
(1) on each side of the tire, connected by not less
23 than
nine (9) evenly spaced chains across the tire tread
24 and
any other traction devices differing from metal chains
Page 3
1 in construction, material or design but capable of
2 providing traction equal to or
exceeding that of metal
3 chains under similar conditions.
4
5 Section 2. This act is effective July 1, 2001.
6
7 (END)
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