[ Search ] [ Legislation ]
[ Home ] [ Back ] [ Bottom ]
| [ Introduced ] | [ Enrolled ] |
91_HB4352eng HB4352 Engrossed 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 HB4352 Engrossed -2- LRB9110415DHmb 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 HB4352 Engrossed -3- LRB9110415DHmb 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 HB4352 Engrossed -4- LRB9110415DHmb 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 25or on the loadthat 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. HB4352 Engrossed -5- LRB9110415DHmb 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 HB4352 Engrossed -6- LRB9110415DHmb 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 HB4352 Engrossed -7- LRB9110415DHmb 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.