1998 Legislation
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SENATE BILL NO. 1352, As Amended – MV axle, certn wght, 4 tires req’d

SENATE BILL NO. 1352, As Amended

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Daily Data Tracking History



S1352aa,aaH...............................................by TRANSPORTATION
MOTOR VEHICLE AXLES - WEIGHT - Amends existing law to require the use of
four tires on axles exceeding ten thousand pounds gross weight; to specify
exceptions to the requirement; and to delete redundant provisions of law
which are also currently found in Section 49-1001, Idaho Code; and to
authorize a special permit.

01/28    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
01/29    Rpt prt - to Transp
02/25    Rpt out - to 14th Ord
03/04    Rpt out amen - to engros
03/05    Rpt engros - 1st rdg - to 2nd rdg as amen
03/06    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg as amen
03/09    3rd rdg as amen - PASSED - 30-1-4
      AYES--Andreason, Boatright, Branch, Bunderson, Burtenshaw, Cameron,
      Crow, Danielson, Darrington, Deide, Frasure, Geddes, Hansen, Hawkins,
      Ipsen, Keough, King, Lee, McLaughlin, Noh, Parry, Richardson, Risch,
      Sandy, Schroeder, Stennett, Sweeney, Thorne, Twiggs, Wheeler
      NAYS--Ingram
      Absent and excused--Dunklin, Riggs, Sorensen, Whitworth
    Floor Sponsor - Frasure
    Title apvd - to House
03/10    House intro - 1st rdg as amen - to Transp
03/17    Rpt out - to Gen Ord
03/17    Rpt out amen - to 1st rdg as amen
03/18    1st rdg - to 2nd rdg as amen
03/19    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg as amen
03/19    Rls susp - FAILED - 14-54-2
      AYES -- Bivens, Crow, Cuddy, Deal, Hansen, Kellogg, Kempton, Linford,
      Meyer, Miller, Pomeroy, Robison, Stone, Wood
      NAYS -- Alltus, Barraclough, Barrett, Bell, Bieter, Black(15),
      Black(23), Boe, Bruneel, Callister, Chase, Clark, Crane, Denney,
      Ellsworth, Field(13), Field(20), Gagner, Geddes, Gould, Hadley,
      Henbest, Hornbeck, Jaquet, Jones(9), Jones(22), Jones(20), Judd,
      Kendell, Kjellander, Kunz, Lake, Loertscher, Mader, Marley, McKague,
      Mortensen, Newcomb, Pischner, Reynolds, Richman, Ridinger, Sali,
      Schaefer, Stevenson, Stoicheff, Stubbs, Taylor, Tilman, Tippets,
      Trail, Watson, Wheeler, Zimmermann
      Absent and excused -- Campbell, Mr Speaker
    Floor Sponsor - Bivens
    Returned to Senate - Filed with Secretary of Senate

Bill Text


S1352


                                                                        
 ||||              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ||||
Fifty-fourth Legislature                 Second Regular Session - 1998
                                                                        

                                      IN THE SENATE

                             SENATE BILL NO. 1352, As Amended

                               BY TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

 1                                        AN ACT
 2    RELATING TO ALLOWABLE LOADS ON MOTOR VEHICLE TIRES; AMENDING  SECTION  49-120,
 3        IDAHO CODE, TO DEFINE "STEERING AXLE"; AND AMENDING SECTION 49-1002, IDAHO
 4        CODE, TO REQUIRE USE OF FOUR TIRES ON EACH AXLE, TO PROVIDE EXCEPTIONS, TO
 5        DELETE REDUNDANT PROVISIONS OF LAW AND TO AUTHORIZE A SPECIAL PERMIT.

 6    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:

 7        SECTION  1.  That  Section  49-120, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby
 8    amended to read as follows:

 9        49-120.  DEFINITIONS -- S.
10        (1)  "Saddlemount combination" means a combination of vehicles in which  a
11    truck  or  truck  tractor  tows  one (1), two (2) or three (3) trucks or truck
12    tractors, each connected by a saddle to the frame or fifth wheel of the  vehi-
13    cle in front of it.  The saddle is a mechanism that connects the front axle of
14    the  towed  vehicle  to  the  frame or fifth wheel of the vehicle in front and
15    functions like a fifth wheel kingpin connection.  A  smaller  vehicle  mounted
16    completely  on  the frame of either the first or last vehicle may be used in a
17    saddlemount combination.
18        (2)  "Safety glazing materials" means glazing  materials  so  constructed,
19    treated  or  combined with other materials as to reduce substantially, in com-
20    parison with ordinary sheet glass or plate glass, the likelihood of injury  to
21    persons  by objects from exterior sources or by these safety glazing materials
22    when they may be cracked or broken.
23        (3)  "Safety zone" means the area or space officially set apart  within  a
24    highway  for  the exclusive use of pedestrians and which is protected or is so
25    marked or indicated by adequate signs as to be plainly visible  at  all  times
26    while set apart as a safety zone.
27        (4)  "Salvage  pool"  means a licensed vehicle dealer engaged primarily in
28    the business of disposing of salvage vehicles, recovered stolen  vehicles,  or
29    both.
30        (5)  "School  bus"  means every motor vehicle that complies with the color
31    and identification requirements set  forth  in  the  most  recent  edition  of
32    "Minimum  Standards  for School Buses" and is used to transport children to or
33    from school or in connection with  school  approved  activities  and  includes
34    buses operated by contract carriers.
35        (6)  "Secretary"  means  the  secretary  of  transportation  of the United
36    States.
37        (7)  "Security agreement." (See section 28-9-105, Idaho Code)
38        (8)  "Security interest." (See section 28-1-201, Idaho Code)
39        (9)  "Sell," "sold," "buy," and "purchase," mean and include, as  used  in
40    sections  49-2401  through  49-2406,  Idaho  Code, exchange, barter, gift, and
41    offer or contract to sell or buy.
42        (10) "Semitrailer." (See "Trailer", section 49-121, Idaho Code)
43        (11) "Serious traffic violation" means conviction of an offense  specified


                                          2

 1    in 49 CFR part 383 while operating a commercial motor vehicle.
 2        (12) "Sidewalk"  means that portion of a street between the curb lines, or
 3    the lateral lines of a roadway, and the adjacent property lines  intended  for
 4    use by pedestrians.
 5        (13) "Signal." (See "Railroad sign", section 49-119, Idaho Code)
 6        (14) "Skills  test"  means  an actual demonstration of ability to exercise
 7    ordinary and reasonable control in the operation of a motor vehicle.
 8        (15) "Slow moving vehicle" means any vehicle not  normally  operated  upon
 9    the highways.
10        (16) "Snow tire." (See "Tires", section 49-121, Idaho Code)
11        (17) "Sold." (See "Sell", "buy", and "purchase", this section)
12        (18) "Solid rubber tire." (See "Tires", section 49-121, Idaho Code)
13        (19) "Special  license plate" means a license plate that is made available
14    to the public as a personal alternative to the standard issue  license  plate.
15    This  definition  shall  not  include the plates issued under sections 49-403,
16    49-403A, 49-404, 49-410, 49-415 and 49-415B, Idaho Code.
17        (20) "Special mobile equipment" means every vehicle not designed  or  used
18    primarily  for the transportation of persons or property and only incidentally
19    operated or moved over a highway, including:  ditch-digging  apparatus,  well-
20    boring  apparatus  and  road  construction  and  maintenance machinery such as
21    asphalt spreaders, bituminous mixers,  bucket  loaders,  tractors  other  than
22    truck tractors, ditchers, leveling graders, finishing machines, motor graders,
23    road  rollers, scarifiers, earth moving carry-alls and scrapers, power shovels
24    and drag lines, and self-propelled cranes, and  earth  moving  equipment.  The
25    term  does  not  include  travel  trailers, dump trucks, truck mounted transit
26    mixers, cranes or shovels, or other vehicles designed for  the  transportation
27    of persons or property to which machinery has been attached.
28        (21) "Specially  constructed  vehicle."  (See  "Vehicle",  section 49-123,
29    Idaho Code)
30        (22) "Stand" or "standing" means the halting of a vehicle,  whether  occu-
31    pied  or not, otherwise than temporarily for the purpose of and while actually
32    engaged in receiving or discharging passengers.
33        (23) "State" means a state, territory or possession of the United  States,
34    the  District  of  Columbia,  the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or a province of
35    Canada.
36        (24)  "Steering axle" means the axle or axles on the front of a motor
37    vehicle that is activated by the operator to directly guide or steer the motor
38    vehicle or combination of vehicles. 
39         (25)  "Stop" means the act of or complete cessation from move-
40    ment.
41        (2 5  6 ) "Stopping" means the act  of  any  halting
42    even momentarily of a vehicle.
43        (2 6  7 ) "Street." (See "Highways", section 49-109,
44    Idaho Code)
45        (2  7    8 ) "Street rod" means any pre-1949 vehicle
46    which has had a significant drive train update from  a  more  modern  vehicle.
47    Changes may include engine, transmission, rear axle, and other suspension com-
48    ponents. The body will be, or resemble the same as the manufacturer's original
49    issue after its first sale after manufacture.
50        (2  8    9  ) "Studded  tire." (See "Tires", section
51    49-121, Idaho Code)
52        ( 29  30 ) "Substandard width  lane"  means  a  lane
53    that  is too narrow for a bicycle and a motor vehicle to travel safely side by
54    side within the lane.
55        (3 0  1 ) "Supplemental lot" means a physically sep-


                                          3

 1    arate location owned and maintained  by  a  licensed  dealer  or  manufacturer
 2    within  the  same  or adjacent county as the principal place of business which
 3    meets all the requirements for a principal place of business.
 4        (3 1  2 ) "Suspension of driver's license" means the
 5    temporary withdrawal by formal action of the department or as  otherwise  pro-
 6    vided  in  this title of a person's driver's license or privilege to operate a
 7    motor vehicle on the public highways, which temporary withdrawal shall be  for
 8    a period specifically designated by the department.
 9        (3 2  3 ) "Suspension of vehicle registration" means
10    the  temporary  withdrawal  by formal action of the department or as otherwise
11    provided in this title of a person's vehicle registration or, in the  case  of
12    fleets of vehicles, all vehicle registrations in each fleet operated by a com-
13    pany.  Upon suspension, the privileges of operating the vehicle or vehicles on
14    Idaho highways is terminated until the difficulty that caused  the  suspension
15    is corrected and notification is provided that the suspension has been lifted.

16        SECTION  2.  That  Section 49-1002, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby
17    amended to read as follows:

18        49-1002.  ALLOWABLE LOAD PER INCH WIDTH OF TIRE   --  ALLOWABLE  AXLE
19    LOADS  FOR  AXLES  EQUIPPED WITH LESS THAN FOUR TIRES PER AXLE . (1) The
20    maximum allowable load for any vehicle tire , except for those  tires  on
21    the steering axle,  operated on any public highway  shall not exceed six
22    hundred  (600)  pounds  per  inch  width of tire. The width of a tire shall be
23    determined by the manufacturer's description marked on  the  sidewall  of  the
24    tire.    Except  for  those  tires  on the steering axle, t  T
25    ires on vehicles manufactured prior to July 1, 1987, may exceed the  six
26    hundred  (600)  pounds  per  inch  width of tire limit subject to a maximum of
27    eight hundred (800) pounds per inch width of tire.
28         (2) All vehicles must be equipped with four (4) tires on  each  axle
29    which exceeds ten thousand (10,000) pounds gross weight, except on:
30        (a)  Axles  and  vehicles  manufactured  prior  to July 1, 1999, which are
31        designed to operate with less than four (4) tires per axle;
32        (b)  Tiller steering axles on fire trucks;
33        (c)  Steering axles;
34        (d)  Rear variable load suspension axles on concrete transit-mix trucks;
35        (e)  Axles equipped with less than four (4) tires per  axle  provided  the
36        individual  tires  do not exceed a gross load of five hundred (500) pounds
37        per inch width of tire; and
38        (f)  Vehicles operating under permits for nonreducible overweight vehicles
39        and loads issued pursuant to section 49-1004, Idaho Code.
40        (3)  Vehicles and vehicle combinations which operate on any public highway
41    with axles which exceed ten thousand (10,000) pounds gross weight, other  than
42    on  the  steering  axles,  and such axles are equipped with less than four (4)
43    tires per axle, are required to obtain a special permit at the  discretion  of
44    the  board  or  other  proper authorities in charge of, or having jurisdiction
45    over a highway. Such special permits may be provided at a cost  sufficient  to
46    recover  administrative  expenses associated with issuance of the special per-
47    mits and identified additional pavement wear costs caused by vehicles  operat-
48    ing  with two (2) instead of four (4) tires per axle on axles in excess of ten
49    thousand (10,000) pounds gross weight, but in no case shall such special  per-
50    mit  costs  be less than fifty dollars ($50.00) nor more than one hundred dol-
51    lars ($100) per motor vehicle per annum. 
52         (2)  Except as provided herein, no vehicle or combination  of  vehi-
53    cles may proceed past the place of weighing at temporary or permanent ports of


                                          4

 1    entry or checking stations when the weight carried on a single tire, as deter-
 2    mined  by dividing the weight carried on an axle or group of axles by the num-
 3    ber of wheels on the axle or group of axles, exceeds  on  a  single  axle  the
 4    allowable weight above by two thousand (2,000) pounds or more or the weight of
 5    a  combination  of  axles  exceeds the allowable weight above by seven percent
 6    (7%) or more. Vehicles or combinations of vehicles  which  exceed  the  weight
 7    limitations  set  forth herein shall be required to be brought into compliance
 8    with the applicable weight per inch width of tire contained within  this  sub-
 9    section  prior to continuing except those vehicles or combinations of vehicles
10    which are transporting loads which, in the determination of the board or other
11    proper authorities in charge of or having jurisdiction  over  a  highway,  are
12    deemed  unsafe  or impractical to bring into compliance at the place of weigh-
13    ing. Vehicles or combinations of vehicles transporting loads  in  this  latter
14    category  shall  obtain  a  travel  authorization to the nearest place of safe
15    unloading, load adjustment or other means of legalization.
16        (a)  Neither the state of Idaho or its employees, nor  any  authority  and
17        its employees in charge of or having jurisdiction over a highway, shall be
18        held  liable  for  personal  injury  or property damage resulting from the
19        requirements of section 49-1001(8), Idaho Code.
20        (b)  The fee for a travel authorization as set forth above shall be  fifty
21        dollars  ($50.00)  and shall be on a form prescribed by the board or other
22        proper authorities.
23        (c)  The board or other proper authorities in charge of or  having  juris-
24        diction  over  a  highway shall adopt and enforce administrative rules and
25        regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of  this  sec-
26        tion. 


                                         5

                                       Moved by     Bivens               

                                       Seconded by  Kempton              


                             IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                       HOUSE AMENDMENT TO S.B. NO. 1352, As Amended

 1                                AMENDMENT TO SECTION 2
 2        On page 3 of the engrossed bill, delete lines 46 and 47 and insert: "
 3    mit cost exceed fifty dollars ($50.00) per motor vehicle per annum. ".

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact


    





    STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
    RS07340
    This legislation will amend Sections 49-120 and 49-1002, Idaho Code, to make it illegal to
    operate a commercial truck with less than the number of tires the axle was designed to
    carry. This legislation will result in the reduction of pavement damage to highways and will
    promote highway safety.
    
    
                                FISCAL IMPACT
    
    
    
    This legislative proposal will result in no fiscal impact to the Idaho Transportation
    
    Department.
    
    CONTACT
    Name: Clayton Sullivan
    Agency: Idaho Transportation Department
    Phone: 334-8405
    Statement of Purpose/Fiscal Impact
    
    S 1352