H-497                _______________________________________________

                                                    HOUSE BILL NO. 210

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Representatives Crane, Todd, P. King, Zellinsky, Gallagher, Walk and Fisch

Read first time 1/23/85 and referred to Committee on Transportation.

AN ACT Relating to motor vehicle lighting; and amending RCW 46.37.050, 46.37.100, and 46.37.200.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

        Sec. 1.  Section 46.37.050, chapter 12, Laws of 1961 as last amended by section 5, chapter 355, Laws of 1977 ex. sess. and RCW 46.37.050 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1) After January 1, 1964, every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer, and any other vehicle which is being drawn at the end of a combination of vehicles, shall be equipped with at least two tail lamps mounted on the rear, which, when lighted as required in RCW 46.37.020, shall emit a red light plainly visible from a distance of one thousand feet to the rear, except that passenger cars manufactured or assembled prior to January 1, 1939, shall have at least one tail lamp. On motor vehicles manufactured or assembled before January 1, 1955, the tail lamps may, in addition to red light, emit blue light from lenses no more than one inch in diameter when functioning as stop lamps.  On a combination of vehicles only the tail lamps on the rearmost vehicle need actually be seen from the distance specified.  On vehicles equipped with more than one tail lamp, the lamps shall be mounted on the same level and as widely spaced laterally as practicable.

          (2) Every tail lamp upon every vehicle shall be located at a height of not more than seventy-two inches nor less than fifteen inches.

          (3) Either a tail lamp or a separate lamp shall be so constructed and placed as to illuminate with a white light the rear registration plate and render it clearly legible from a distance of fifty feet to the rear.  Any tail lamp or tail lamps, together with any separate lamp or lamps for illuminating the rear registration plate, shall be so wired as to be lighted whenever the head lamps or auxiliary driving lamps are lighted.

        Sec. 2.  Section 46.37.100, chapter 12, Laws of 1961 and RCW 46.37.100 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1) Front clearance lamps and those marker lamps and reflectors mounted on the front or on the side near the front of a vehicle shall display or reflect an amber color.

          (2) Rear clearance lamps and those marker lamps and reflectors mounted on the rear or on the sides near the rear of a vehicle shall display or reflect a red color.

          (3) All lighting devices and reflectors mounted on the rear of any vehicle shall display or reflect a red color, except the stop lamp or other signal device, which may be red, amber, or yellow or for vehicles manufactured or assembled before January 1, 1955, the stop lamps may, in addition to red light, emit blue light from lenses no more than one inch in diameter, and except that the light illuminating the license plate shall be white and the light emitted by a back-up lamp shall be white or amber.

        Sec. 3.  Section 46.37.200, chapter 12, Laws of 1961 as last amended by section 17, chapter 355, Laws of 1977 ex. sess. and RCW 46.37.200 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1) Any vehicle may be equipped and when required under this chapter shall be equipped with a stop lamp or lamps on the rear of the vehicle which shall display a red or amber light, or any shade of color between red and amber, visible from a distance of not less than one hundred feet and on any vehicle manufactured or assembled after January 1, 1964, three hundred feet to the rear in normal sunlight, and which shall be actuated upon application of a service brake, and which may but need not be incorporated with one or more other rear lamps.  For vehicles manufactured or assembled before January 1, 1955, the stop lamps may, in addition to red light, emit blue light from lenses no more than one inch in diameter.

          (2) Any vehicle may be equipped and when required under RCW 46.37.070(2) shall be equipped with electric turn signals which shall indicate an intention to turn by flashing lights showing to the front and rear of a vehicle or on a combination of vehicles on the side of the vehicle or combination toward which the turn is to be made.  The lamps showing to the front shall be mounted on the same level and as widely spaced laterally as practicable and, when signaling, shall emit amber light:  PROVIDED, That on any vehicle manufactured prior to January 1, 1969, the lamps showing to the front may emit white or amber light, or any shade of light between white and amber.  The lamp showing to the rear shall be mounted on the same level and as widely spaced laterally as practicable, and, when signaling, shall emit a red or amber light, or any shade of color between red and amber.  Turn signal lamps shall be visible from a distance of not less than five hundred feet to the front and rear in normal sunlight.  Turn signal lamps may, but need not be, incorporated in other lamps on the vehicle.