H-4454.2 _______________________________________________
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2762
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State of Washington 52nd Legislature 1992 Regular Session
By House Committee on Transportation (originally sponsored by Representatives R. Fisher, Betrozoff, Zellinsky, Jones and McLean; by request of Department of Transportation)
Read first time 02/11/92.
AN ACT Relating to tires on vehicles over ten thousand pounds; and amending RCW 46.44.042.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 46.44.042 and 1985 c 351 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
Subject to the maximum gross weights specified in RCW 46.44.041, it is unlawful to operate any vehicle upon the public highways with a gross weight, including load, upon any tire concentrated upon the surface of the highway in excess of six hundred pounds per inch width of such tire. Other than a nonliftable steering axle on a power unit or tiller axle on fire apparatus, an axle manufactured after July 31, 1992, carrying more than ten thousand pounds must be equipped with four tires. Other than a nonliftable steering axle on a power unit or tiller axle on fire apparatus, effective January 1, 1997, an axle carrying more than ten thousand pounds, regardless of the date of manufacture, must have four tires. In lieu of the four tire per axle requirements of this section, (1) an axle may be equipped with two tires limited to four hundred fifty pounds per inch width of tire, or (2) in the case of a ready-mix concrete transit truck, the rear booster trailing axle may be equipped with two tires limited to six hundred pounds per inch width of tire. These provisions do not apply to oversize and overweight permits issued under RCW 46.44.090. For the purpose of this section, the width of tire in case of solid rubber or hollow center cushion tires, so long as the use thereof may be permitted by the law, shall be measured between the flanges of the rim. For the purpose of this section, the width of tires in case of pneumatic tires shall be the maximum overall normal inflated width as stipulated by the manufacturer when inflated to the pressure specified and without load thereon.
The department of transportation, under rules adopted by the transportation commission with respect to state highways, and rules adopted by local authorities with respect to public highways under their respective jurisdictions, may extend the weight table in RCW 46.44.041 to one hundred fifteen thousand pounds if (1) the extension complies with federal law, and (2) vehicles operating under the extension comply with the 1997 axle and tire requirements of this section.