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S1051.....................................................by TRANSPORTATION
MOTOR VEHICLES - Amends existing law relating to motor vehicle tires to
delete the prohibition on use of single tires on single axles or within
groups of axles.
01/26 Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
01/29 Rpt prt - to Transp
02/02 Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
02/05 2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
02/06 3rd rdg - PASSED - 35-0-0
AYES -- Andreason, Bair, Bastian, Bilyeu, Broadsword, Burkett,
Cameron, Coiner, Corder, Darrington, Davis, Fulcher, Gannon, Geddes,
Goedde, Hammond, Heinrich, Hill, Jorgenson, Kelly, Keough, Langhorst,
Little, Lodge, Malepeai, McGee, McKague, McKenzie, Pearce,
Richardson, Schroeder, Siddoway, Stegner, Stennett, Werk
NAYS -- None
Absent and excused -- None
Floor Sponsor - Corder
Title apvd - to House
02/07 House intro - 1st rdg - to Transp
02/15 Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
02/16 2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
02/22 3rd rdg - PASSED - 68-0-2
AYES -- Anderson, Andrus, Barrett, Bayer, Bedke, Bell, Bilbao, Black,
Block, Bock, Boe, Bolz, Brackett, Bradford, Chadderdon, Chavez, Chew,
Clark, Collins, Crane, Durst, Edmunson, Eskridge, Hagedorn, Hart,
Harwood, Henbest, Henderson, Jaquet, Killen, King, Kren, Labrador,
Lake, LeFavour, Loertscher, Luker, Marriott, Mathews, McGeachin,
Mortimer, Moyle, Nielsen, Nonini, Pasley-Stuart, Patrick, Pence,
Ring, Ringo, Roberts, Ruchti, Rusche, Sayler, Schaefer, Shepherd(2),
Shepherd(8), Shirley, Shively, Smith(30), Smith(24), Snodgrass,
Thayn, Trail, Vander Woude, Wills, Wood(27), Wood(35), Mr. Speaker
NAYS -- None
Absent and excused -- Raybould, Stevenson
Floor Sponsor - Roberts
Title apvd - to Senate
02/23 To enrol
02/26 Rpt enrol - Pres signed
02/27 Sp signed
02/28 To Governor
03/02 Governor signed
Session Law Chapter 40
Effective: 07/01/07
]]]] LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO ]]]]
Fifty-ninth Legislature First Regular Session - 2007
IN THE SENATE
SENATE BILL NO. 1051
BY TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
1 AN ACT
2 RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE TIRES; AMENDING SECTION 49-1002, IDAHO CODE, TO
3 DELETE THE PROHIBITION ON USE OF SINGLE TIRES ON SINGLE AXLES OR WITHIN
4 GROUPS OF AXLES.
5 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
6 SECTION 1. That Section 49-1002, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby
7 amended to read as follows:
8 49-1002. ALLOWABLE LOAD PER INCH WIDTH OF TIRE. (1) The maximum allowable
9 load for any vehicle tire operated on any public highway shall not exceed six
10 hundred (600) pounds per inch width of tire and shall not exceed the
11 manufacturer's load rating, whichever is less. Single tires are prohibited on
12 single axles or within groups of axles except for steering axles, self-
13 steering variable load suspension axles or when equipped with wide-base tires
14 fifteen (15) inches wide or greater. The width of a tire shall be determined
15 by the manufacturer's description marked on the sidewall of the tire. Tires on
16 vehicles manufactured prior to July 1, 1987, may exceed the six hundred (600)
17 pounds per inch width of tire limit subject to a maximum of eight hundred
18 (800) pounds per inch width of tire. This section shall not apply to
19 nonreducible overweight and/or oversize vehicles and/or loads as authorized
20 under section 49-1004, Idaho Code.
21 (2) Except as provided herein, no vehicle or combination of vehicles may
22 proceed past the place of weighing at temporary or permanent ports of entry or
23 checking stations when the weight carried on a single tire, as determined by
24 dividing the weight carried on an axle or group of axles by the number of
25 wheels on the axle or group of axles, exceeds on a single axle the allowable
26 weight above by two thousand (2,000) pounds or more or the weight of a combi-
27 nation of axles exceeds the allowable weight above by seven percent (7%) or
28 more. Vehicles or combinations of vehicles which exceed the weight limitations
29 set forth herein shall be required to be brought into compliance with the
30 applicable weight per inch width of tire contained within this subsection
31 prior to continuing except those vehicles or combinations of vehicles which
32 are transporting loads which, in the determination of the board or other
33 proper authorities in charge of or having jurisdiction over a highway, are
34 deemed unsafe or impractical to bring into compliance at the place of weigh-
35 ing. Vehicles or combinations of vehicles transporting loads in this latter
36 category shall obtain a travel authorization to the nearest place of safe
37 unloading, load adjustment or other means of legalization.
38 (a) Neither the state of Idaho or its employees, nor any authority and
39 its employees in charge of or having jurisdiction over a highway, shall be
40 held liable for personal injury or property damage resulting from the
41 requirements of section 49-1001(8), Idaho Code.
42 (b) The fee for a travel authorization as set forth above shall be fifty
43 dollars ($50.00) and shall be on a form prescribed by the board or other
2
1 proper authorities.
2 (c) The board or other proper authorities in charge of or having juris-
3 diction over a highway shall adopt and enforce administrative rules as may
4 be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.
Statement of Purpose
RS 16617
This section of Idaho Code was amended in 2006 (HB561aa) to enact a limit
of 600 pounds per inch of tire width for wide-base single truck tires as
well as conventional dual tire assemblies. In terms of this objective,
the legislative action was appropriate and successful.
In another part of HB561aa there was a provision designed to discourage
the use of single tires on axles that were built for duals (unless the
tires were fifteen inches or more in width) by disallowing them altogether.
(Earlier control of such tire configurations employed a lower weight limit
per inch of width; this approach was confusing and presented problems in
enforcement.) Unfortunately, it became clear shortly after the law went
into effect that it went too far in that it failed to set forth a vehicle
GVW cutoff in its application. For example, it is currently illegal to
equip any vehicle with only two tires on an axle unless the tires are at
least fifteen inches wide; this would include a pickup truck and even
automobiles. ITD immediately announced a policy, thankfully, of a phased
approach to enforcement utilizing education and warnings during the first
year. But a change must be made in this session.
This legislation is consistent with the AASHTO guideline, which sets forth
600 pounds as an acceptable allowable weight per inch of tire width.
Furthermore, in terms of an improvement to earlier Code, loading on a tire
is limited to 600 pounds or the manufacturer's rating for the tire, whichever
is less. This is an excellent feature in the control of tire loading.
Note that the current limits of 600 pounds for steering axles and 800 pounds
grandfarthered for older vehicles are unchanged.
FISCAL IMPACT
This legislation has no fiscal impact to the state's general fund.
Contact: Senator Tim Corder Representative JoAn Wood
Phone: 208-332-1336 208-332-1146
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE S 1051