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91_HB4352
LRB9110415DHmb
1 AN ACT to amend the Illinois Vehicle Code by changing
2 Section 15-102.
3 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
4 represented in the General Assembly:
5 Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by
6 changing Section 15-102 as follows:
7 (625 ILCS 5/15-102) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 15-102)
8 Sec. 15-102. Width of Vehicles.
9 (a) Except as otherwise provided in this Section or this
10 Code, the total outside width of any vehicle or load thereon
11 shall not exceed 8 feet.
12 (b) Except during those times when, due to insufficient
13 light or unfavorable atmospheric conditions, persons and
14 vehicles on the highway are not clearly discernible at a
15 distance of 1000 feet, the following vehicles may exceed the
16 8 feet limitation during the period from a half hour before
17 sunrise to a half hour after sunset:
18 (1) Loads of hay, straw or other similar farm
19 products provided that the load is not more than 12 feet
20 wide.
21 (2) Implements of husbandry being transported on
22 another vehicle and the transporting vehicle while
23 loaded.
24 The following requirements apply to the
25 transportation on another vehicle of an implement of
26 husbandry wider than 8 feet 6 inches on the National
27 System of Interstate and Defense Highways or other
28 highways in the system of State highways:
29 (A) The driver of a vehicle transporting an
30 implement of husbandry that exceeds 8 feet 6 inches
31 in width shall obey all traffic laws and shall check
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1 the roadways prior to making a movement in order to
2 ensure that adequate clearance is available for the
3 movement. It is prima facie evidence that the
4 driver of a vehicle transporting an implement of
5 husbandry has failed to check the roadway prior to
6 making a movement if the vehicle is involved in a
7 collision with a bridge, overpass, fixed structure,
8 or properly placed traffic control device or if the
9 vehicle blocks traffic due to its inability to
10 proceed because of a bridge, overpass, fixed
11 structure, or properly placed traffic control
12 device.
13 (B) Flags shall be displayed so as to wave
14 freely at the extremities of overwidth objects and
15 at the extreme ends of all protrusions, projections,
16 and overhangs. All flags shall be clean, bright red
17 flags with no advertising, wording, emblem, or
18 insignia inscribed upon them and at least 18 inches
19 square.
20 (C) "OVERSIZE LOAD" signs are mandatory on the
21 front and rear of all vehicles with loads over 10
22 feet wide. These signs must have 12-inch high black
23 letters with a 2-inch stroke on a yellow sign that
24 is 7 feet wide by 18 inches high.
25 (D) One civilian escort vehicle is required
26 for a load that exceeds 14 feet 6 inches in width
27 and 2 civilian escort vehicles are required for a
28 load that exceeds 16 feet in width on the National
29 System of Interstate and Defense Highways or other
30 highways in the system of State highways.
31 (E) The requirements for a civilian escort
32 vehicle and driver are as follows:
33 (1) The civilian escort vehicle shall be
34 a passenger car or a second division vehicle
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1 not exceeding a gross vehicle weight of 8,000
2 pounds that is designed to afford clear and
3 unobstructed vision to both front and rear.
4 (2) The escort vehicle driver must be
5 properly licensed to operate the vehicle.
6 (3) While in use, the escort vehicle must
7 be equipped with illuminated rotating,
8 oscillating, or flashing amber lights or
9 flashing amber strobe lights mounted on top
10 that are of sufficient intensity to be visible
11 at 500 feet in normal sunlight.
12 (4) "OVERSIZE LOAD" signs are mandatory
13 on all escort vehicles. The sign on an escort
14 vehicle shall have 8-inch high black letters on
15 a yellow sign that is 5 feet wide by 12 inches
16 high.
17 (5) When only one escort vehicle is
18 required and it is operating on a two-lane
19 highway, the escort vehicle shall travel
20 approximately 300 feet ahead of the load. The
21 rotating, oscillating, or flashing lights or
22 flashing amber strobe lights and an "OVERSIZE
23 LOAD" sign shall be displayed on the escort
24 vehicle and shall be visible from the front.
25 When only one escort vehicle is required and it
26 is operating on a multilane divided highway,
27 the escort vehicle shall travel approximately
28 300 feet behind the load and the sign and
29 lights shall be visible from the rear.
30 (6) When 2 escort vehicles are required,
31 one escort shall travel approximately 300 feet
32 ahead of the load and the second escort shall
33 travel approximately 300 feet behind the load.
34 The rotating, oscillating, or flashing lights
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1 or flashing amber strobe lights and an
2 "OVERSIZE LOAD" sign shall be displayed on the
3 escort vehicles and shall be visible from the
4 front on the lead escort and from the rear on
5 the trailing escort.
6 (7) When traveling within the corporate
7 limits of a municipality, the escort vehicle
8 shall maintain a reasonable and proper distance
9 from the oversize load, consistent with
10 existing traffic conditions.
11 (8) A separate escort shall be provided
12 for each load hauled.
13 (9) The driver of an escort vehicle shall
14 obey all traffic laws.
15 (10) The escort vehicle must be in safe
16 operational condition.
17 (11) The driver of the escort vehicle
18 must be in radio contact with the driver of the
19 vehicle carrying the oversize load.
20 (F) A transport vehicle while under load of
21 more than 8 feet 6 inches in width must be equipped
22 with an illuminated rotating, oscillating, or
23 flashing amber light or lights or a flashing amber
24 strobe light or lights mounted on the top of the cab
25 or on the load that are of sufficient intensity to
26 be visible at 500 feet in normal sunlight. If the
27 load on the transport vehicle blocks the visibility
28 of the amber lighting from the rear of the vehicle,
29 the vehicle must also be equipped with an
30 illuminated rotating, oscillating, or flashing amber
31 light or lights or a flashing amber strobe light or
32 lights mounted on the rear of the load that are of
33 sufficient intensity to be visible at 500 feet in
34 normal sunlight.
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1 (G) When a flashing amber light is required on
2 the transport vehicle under load and it is operating
3 on a two-lane highway, the transport vehicle shall
4 display to the rear at least one rotating,
5 oscillating, or flashing light or a flashing amber
6 strobe light and an "OVERSIZE LOAD" sign. When a
7 flashing amber light is required on the transport
8 vehicle under load and it is operating on a
9 multilane divided highway, the sign and light shall
10 be visible from the rear.
11 (H) Maximum speed shall be 45 miles per hour
12 on all such moves or 5 miles per hour above the
13 posted minimum speed limit, whichever is greater,
14 but the vehicle shall not at any time exceed the
15 posted maximum speed limit.
16 (3) Portable buildings designed and used for
17 agricultural and livestock raising operations that are
18 not more than 14 feet wide and with not more than a 1
19 foot overhang along the left side of the hauling vehicle.
20 However, the buildings shall not be transported more than
21 10 miles and not on any route that is part of the
22 National System of Interstate and Defense Highways.
23 All buildings when being transported shall display at
24 least 2 red cloth flags, not less than 12 inches square,
25 mounted as high as practicable on the left and right side of
26 the building.
27 A State Police escort shall be required if it is
28 necessary for this load to use part of the left lane when
29 crossing any 2 laned State highway bridge.
30 (c) Vehicles propelled by electric power obtained from
31 overhead trolley wires operated wholly within the corporate
32 limits of a municipality are also exempt from the width
33 limitation.
34 (d) Exemptions are also granted to vehicles designed for
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1 the carrying of more than 10 persons under the following
2 conditions:
3 (1) (Blank);
4 (2) When operated within any public transportation
5 service with the approval of local authorities or an
6 appropriate public body authorized by law to provide
7 public transportation. Any vehicle so operated may be 8
8 feet 6 inches in width; or
9 (3) When a county engineer or superintendent of
10 highways, after giving due consideration to the mass
11 transportation needs of the area and to the width and
12 condition of the road, has determined that the operation
13 of buses wider than 8 feet will not pose an undue safety
14 hazard on a particular county or township road segment,
15 he or she may authorize buses not to exceed 8 feet 6
16 inches in width on any highway under that engineer's or
17 superintendent's jurisdiction.
18 (e) A vehicle and load traveling upon the National
19 System of Interstate and Defense Highways or any other
20 highway in the system of State highways that has been
21 designated as a Class I or Class II highway by the
22 Department, or any street or highway designated by local
23 authorities or road district commissioners, may have a total
24 outside width of 8 feet 6 inches, provided that certain
25 safety devices that the Department determines as necessary
26 for the safe and efficient operation of motor vehicles shall
27 not be included in the calculation of width.
28 Vehicles operating under this paragraph (e) shall have
29 access for a distance of one highway mile to or from a Class
30 I highway on any street or highway, unless there is a sign
31 prohibiting the access, or 5 highway miles to or from a Class
32 I or II highway on a street or highway included in the system
33 of State highways and upon any street or highway designated
34 by local authorities or road district commissioners, without
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1 additional fees, to points of loading and unloading and to
2 facilities for food, fuel, repairs and rest. In addition, any
3 trailer or semitrailer not exceeding 28 feet 6 inches in
4 length, that was originally in combination with a truck
5 tractor, and all household goods carriers, when operating
6 under paragraph (e), shall have access to points of loading
7 and unloading.
8 Section 5-35 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act
9 relating to procedures for rulemaking shall not apply to the
10 designation of highways under this paragraph (e).
11 (f) Mirrors required by Section 12-502 of this Code and
12 other safety devices identified by the Department may project
13 up to 14 inches beyond each side of a bus and up to 6 inches
14 beyond each side of any other vehicle, and that projection
15 shall not be deemed a violation of the width restrictions of
16 this Section.
17 (g) Any person who is convicted of violating this
18 Section is subject to the penalty as provided in paragraph
19 (b) of Section 15-113.
20 (Source: P.A. 89-551, eff. 1-1-97; 89-658, eff. 1-1-97;
21 90-14, eff. 7-1-97.)
22 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
23 becoming law.