H. B. 2742
(By Delegates Perry, Mezzatesta and Shaver)
[Introduced March 5, 2001; referred to the
Committee on Roads and Transportation then Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact section eight, article twelve, chapter
seventeen-c of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine
hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to requiring
alternatively flashing headlights on the front of school buses
that are stopped.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section eight, article twelve, 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:
ARTICLE 12. SPECIAL STOPS REQUIRED.
§17C-12-8. Special lighting equipment on school buses.
(a) The commissioner of motor vehicles is authorized to adopt standards and specifications applicable to lighting equipment on
and special warning devices to be carried by school buses
consistent with the provisions of this chapter, but supplemental
thereto, and except that such standards and specifications may
designate and permit the use of flashing warning signal lights on
school buses for the purpose of indicating when children are
boarding or alighting from any said bus. Such standards and
specifications shall correlate with and, so far as possible,
conform to the specifications then current as approved by the
Society of Automotive Engineers: Provided, That, in addition to
all other required flashing lights, school buses shall have two
frontal flashing headlights that flash alternatively during periods
when the bus is slowing down to stop, or stopped.
(b) It shall be unlawful to operate any flashing warning
signal light on any school bus except when any said school bus is
stopped or is slowing down to stop on any street or highway for the
purpose of permitting school children to board or alight from said
school bus.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require school buses to
have alternatively flashing headlights in the front for stops.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.