WSR 97-22-039

PROPOSED RULES

WASHINGTON STATE PATROL

[Filed October 31, 1997, 8:25 a.m.]

Original Notice.

Preproposal statement of inquiry was filed as WSR 97-19-017.

Title of Rule: Standards for mounting, adjusting, and aiming of lamps.

Purpose: Amend sections to outline what can and cannot be used for motor vehicle aftermarket lighting devices.

Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 46.37.005 and 46.37.320.

Summary: Amend chapter 204-72 WAC to ensure that aftermarket devices for vehicles will be legal for use. Prohibit the use of tinted aftermarket lighting devices.

Reasons Supporting Proposal: Concern for the safety of the motoring public. To ensure compliance with federal lighting safety requirements.

Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting and Implementation: Ms. Carol Morton, P.O. Box 42635, (360) 412-8934; and Enforcement: Captain Tim Erickson, P.O. Box 42614, (360) 753-0302.

Name of Proponent: Washington State Patrol, governmental.

Rule is not necessitated by federal law, federal or state court decision.

Explanation of Rule, its Purpose, and Anticipated Effects: The amendments to chapter 204-72 WAC, Standards for mounting, adjusting, and aiming of lamps, will clearly define which aftermarket lighting devices can be used for motor vehicles.

Proposal does not change existing rules.

No small business economic impact statement has been prepared under chapter 19.85 RCW. There is no impact to small businesses.

RCW 34.05.328 does not apply to this rule adoption.

Hearing Location: Commercial Vehicle Division Conference Room, Ground Floor, General Administration Building, Olympia, Washington 98504, on December 9, 1997, at 10 a.m.

Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact Ms. Kendra Hensley by December 2, 1997, (360) 753-0678.

Submit Written Comments to: Ms. Carol Morton, Washington State Patrol, Equipment and Standards, P.O. Box 42635, Olympia, WA 9854-2635 [98504-2635], FAX (360) 493-9090, by December 2, 1997.

Date of Intended Adoption: December 16, 1997.

October 31, 1997

Annette M. Sandberg

Chief

AMENDATORY SECTION (Amending Order 80-12-01, filed 12/5/80)

WAC 204-72-030 Mounting requirements, general. (1) Installation and maintenance. Lighting equipment shall be securely mounted on a rigid part of the vehicle to prevent noticeable vibration of the beam and shall be maintained with the proper aim when the vehicle is stationary and in motion. No lighting device shall be mounted so any portion on the vehicle, load, or vehicle equipment interferes with the distribution of light or decreases its intensity within the photometric test angles unless an additional device is installed so the combination of the two meets these requirements. Mounting heights shall be measured from the center of the lamp or reflector to the level surface upon which the vehicle stands when it is without load.

(2) Mounting of aftermarket devices. Aftermarket lamps, with orientation markings such as "top" shall be mounted in accordance with the markings. Sealed and semisealed optical units shall be installed with the lettering on the lens face right side up. Front and rear reflex reflectors shall be securely mounted on a rigid part of the vehicle with the plane of the lens perpendicular to the roadway and parallel to the rear axle. Side reflex reflectors shall be mounted with the lens face perpendicular to the roadway and parallel to the rear wheels. Aftermarket neon lighting devices are not allowed to be used on a motor vehicle while driving on the public roadways.

(3) Mounting of original equipment devices. Original equipment lamps and reflex reflectors designed for a particular make of vehicle and installed on another vehicle shall be mounted at the same angle as on the vehicle for which they were designed. They need not be mounted at the same height or lateral spacing as on the original vehicle but must comply with the appropriate height and location limitations in this chapter and chapter 46.37 RCW.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 46.37.005 and 46.37.320. 81-01-009 (Order 80-12-01), 204-72-030, filed 12/5/80.]

AMENDATORY SECTION (Amending WSR 97-12-061, filed 6/3/97, effective 7/4/97)

WAC 204-72-040 Mounting requirements, specific. (1) Clearance, sidemarker, and identification lamps.

(a) Clearance lamps, sidemarker lamps, and combination clearance and sidemarker lamps shall be mounted as specified in FMVSS 108, except for combination clearance and sidemarker lamps on pole trailers which shall be mounted as required by RCW 46.37.090 (5)(c). On vehicles manufactured prior to May 1, 1980, clearance lamps need not be visible at the inboard angles, and clearance and sidemarker lamps need not comply with the mounting height requirements of FMVSS 108.

(b) Identification lamps shall be mounted as specified in FMVSS 108, except where the cab of a vehicle is not more than 42 inches wide at the front roof line a single identification lamp shall be deemed to comply with the requirements for front identification lamps.

(c) Specialized lamps. Specialized combination lamps designed to be mounted with the base at angles other than 0, 45, or 90 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the vehicle shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

(2) Cornering lamps. Cornering lamps shall be mounted on the front of the vehicle near the side or the side near the front and not lower than 12 inches nor higher than 30 inches.

(3) Deceleration lamps. Deceleration lamps shall be mounted on the rear of the vehicle on or adjacent to the centerline of the vehicle at a height not lower than 20 inches and not higher than 72 inches.

(4) Fog lamps. A fog lamp is a lighting device mounted to provide illumination forward of the vehicle under conditions of rain, snow, dust, or fog. Fog lamps shall be mounted at a height of not less than 12 inches nor more than 30 inches, and so that the inner edge of the lens retaining ring is no closer than 4 inches to the optical center of the front turn signal lamp. The fog lamp(s) may be used only with the low beam headlamps. Fog lamps shall not be used alone in lieu of headlamps.

(5) Headlamps. Headlamps shall be mounted as specified in FMVSS 108 and as follows:

(a) Spacing. Headlamp units installed after November 15, 1975, shall not be closer to the centerline of the vehicle than 12 inches measured from the center of the lens, except on motorcycles and motorized bicycles, and shall be spaced as far apart as practicable. In cases of customized headlamp installation, headlamps shall not be mounted closer together than at the time or original manufacture of the vehicle body.

(b) Height. Headlamps shall be mounted at a height of not less than 24 inches nor more than 54 inches.

(c) Covers. No grille, tinted plastic or tinted glass covers, or any other obstruction which distorts the color or the distribution of light or substantially decreases its intensity shall be in front of the headlamp lens, except for headlamp concealment devices meeting the requirements of FMVSS 112.

(6) Auxiliary passing lamps. A passing lamp is an auxiliary low beam lamp meeting the photometric requirements of SAE Standard J582a. Passing lamps shall be mounted not lower than 24 inches nor higher than 42 inches, and so the inner edge of the lens retaining ring is no closer than 4 inches to the optical center of the front turn signal lamp. The lamp may be used at the driver's discretion with either low or high beam headlamps. Passing lamps shall not be used alone in lieu of headlamps.

(7) Auxiliary driving lamps. A driving lamp is a lighting device mounted to provide illumination forward of the vehicle to supplement the upper beam of a standard headlamp system. Driving lamps shall be mounted on the front not lower than 16 inches nor higher than 42 inches. Driving lamps shall be wired so that the taillights are lighted whenever the driving lamps are lighted. If driving lamps are not wired to operate only with headlamp high beams, then a separate switch and indicator lamp shall be provided to operate the driving lamps. Driving lamps shall not be used alone in lieu of headlamps.

(8) Side turn signal lamps. Side turn signal lamps shall be mounted on the side not lower than 20 inches nor higher than 72 inches. The lamps shall flash with the front and rear turn signal lamps on their respective sides of the vehicle. On vehicles equipped with sequential turn signal lamps, the side turn signal lamps shall flash with the front turn signal lamps. If the side turn signal lamps flash when the hazard warning switch is actuated, all such lamps shall flash with the rear turn signal lamps.

(9) Supplemental signal lamps. Supplemental stop or turn signal lamps shall be single-faced, shall be actuated in the same manner and at the same time as the required stoplamps or turn signal lamps, and shall not be used in lieu of such lamps. Supplemental turn signal lamps and supplemental combination stop-and-turn signal lamps shall be mounted in pairs facing the rear with one lamp near each side of the vehicle, at the same height and equally spaced from the vehicle centerline. Supplemental stoplamps shall be mounted in pairs as specified above or with not more than two lamps on or adjacent to the centerline of the vehicle. Supplemental stop or turn signal lamps shall be mounted not lower than 35 inches nor higher than 55 inches. Standard stop or turn signal lamps not combined with tail lamps or reflex reflectors may be used respectively as supplemental lamps in which case they shall be mounted at any height not lower than 15 inches nor higher than 72 inches.

Covers. No aftermarket covers, slotted or tinted, which causes the distortion or detract from the amount of light emitted by the stoplamps/tail lamps required by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Standard 108 and/or Society of Automotive Engineers J585 and J586 standards for stop/tail lamps, may be installed on motor vehicles.

(10) Turn signal lamps. Turn signal lamps shall be mounted and operated as follows:

(a) Motor vehicles. Turn signal systems on motor vehicles shall consist of at least two single-faced or double-faced turn signal lamps on or near the front and at least two single-faced turn signal lamps on the rear. Double-faced turn lamps shall be mounted ahead of the center of the steering wheel or the center of the outside rearview mirror, whichever is rearmost. A truck-tractor or a truck chassis without body or load may be equipped with one double-faced turn signal lamp on each side in lieu of the four separate lamps otherwise required on a motor vehicle. Front and rear turn signal lamps on motorcycles shall be at least 9 inches apart, except that front turn signals on motorcycles manufactured after January 1, 1973, shall be at least 16 inches apart. Turn signal lamps on other vehicles shall be spaced as far apart as practical. The optical center of the front turn signal lamp shall be at least 4 inches from the inside diameter of the retaining ring of the lower beam headlamp unit, fog lamp unit, or passing lamp unit. Original equipment turn signals that emit two and one-half times the minimum candela requirements may be closer.

(b) Towed vehicles. The rearmost vehicle in a combination of vehicles shall be equipped with at least two single-faced turn signal lamps on the rear. The signal system on a combination of vehicles towed by a motor vehicle equipped with double-faced front turn signal lamps may be connected so only the double-faced turn signal lamps on the towing vehicle and the signal lamps on the rear of the rearmost vehicle are operative.

(c) Operation. Turn signal lamps visible to approaching or following drivers shall flash in unison, except that a turn signal consisting of two or more units mounted horizontally may flash in sequence from inboard to outboard. The lamps may be either extinguished simultaneously or lighted simultaneously. Turn signal lamps shall flash at a rate of 60 to 120 flashes per minute.

(11) Warning lamps. Required front warning lamps other than school bus warning lamps shall be mounted so the entire projected area of the lens is visible from all eye heights of drivers of other vehicles at angles within 45 degrees left to 45 degrees right of the front of the vehicle. If the light within these required angles is blocked by the vehicle or any substantial object on it, an additional warning lamp shall be displayed within the obstructed angle. Warning lamps may be mounted at any height.