H. B. 2785
(By Delegate Mezzatesta)
[Introduced March 27, 1997; referred to the
Committee on Roads and Transportation.]
A BILL to amend and reenact section nineteen, article fifteen,
chapter seventeen-c, of the code of West Virginia, one
thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to
additional lighting equipment to be used by funeral hearses.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section nineteen, article fifteen, chapter seventeen-c of
the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
§17C-15-19. Additional lighting equipment.
(a) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than two
side cowl or fender lamps which shall emit an amber or white light
without glare.
(b) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than one
running board courtesy lamp on each side thereof which shall emit
a white or amber light without glare.
(c) Except for school buses as provided in this subsection,
any motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than two back-up lamps either separately or in combination with other lamps, but any
such back-up lamp shall not be lighted when the motor vehicle is in
forward motion. School buses used for the transportation of school
children in this state, whether owned and operated by a county
board of education or privately owned and operated under contract
with a county board of education, shall be equipped with two
back-up lamps, one on each side of the rear door, with white lens
or reflectors, capable of lighting the roadway and objects to the
rear of the bus for safe backing during darkness, and which, at the
option of the county board of education, may each provide fifty
candlepower in illumination intensity instead of thirty-two
candlepower.
(d) Any vehicle may be equipped with lamps which may be used
for the purpose of warning the operators of other vehicles of the
presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring the exercise of
unusual care in approaching, overtaking or passing, and when so
equipped may display such warning in addition to any other warning
signals required by this article. The lamps used to display such
warning to the front shall be mounted at the same level and as
widely spaced laterally as practicable and shall display
simultaneously flashing white or amber lights, or any shade of
color between white and amber. The lamps used to display such
warning to the rear shall be mounted at the same level and as
widely spaced laterally as practicable, and shall show simultaneously flashing amber or red lights, or any shade of color
between amber and red.
(e) Vehicles used by "rural mail carriers" in carrying or
delivering mail in rural areas may be equipped with amber flashing
lights. Such lights shall be on the front and rear of the vehicle
and may be activated when the vehicle is stopped or decreasing
speed in order to stop in the course of carrying, delivering or
picking up mail along the route.
(f) Vehicles used as the lead car in a funeral procession are
hereby authorized to be equipped with, but are not required to use,
purple lamps or purple flashing lights. Such lamps may be used for
the purpose of warning the operators of other vehicles of the
presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring the exercise of
unusual care in approaching, overtaking or passing a, and when so
equipped may display such warning in addition to any other warning
signals required by this article. The lamps or flashing lights
used to display such warning to the front shall be mounted at the
same level and as widely spaced laterally as practicable and shall
display simultaneously either illuminated or flashing purple
lights. The lamps used to display such warning to the rear shall be
mounted at the same level and as widely space laterally as
practicable, and shall show simultaneously flashing or illuminated
purple lights.