REPORT TITLE:
Vehicle; Audible Warning


DESCRIPTION:
Allows audible reverse warning system to be turned off manually
for noise control purposes and allows bright flashing lights to
be installed in the rear of the vehicle to be used whenever the
vehicle is reversing.  Requires new vehicles to be equipped to
permit the system to be turned off manually.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           1728 
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE REVERSE WARNING SYSTEM.



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

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that as part of the
 
 2 increased development of Hawaii's towns and cities, there is an
 
 3 increase in noise pollution.  One of the contributors to noise
 
 4 pollution is the loud beeping sound emitted by large vehicles
 
 5 when they are reversing.  This is due to a state law which
 
 6 requires certain large vehicles to be equipped with an audible
 
 7 reverse warning system.  This safety measure is to warn
 
 8 pedestrians and others in the back of a large vehicle that the
 
 9 vehicle is about to reverse.  When the vehicle is operating late
 
10 at night or around buildings occupied by residents of hospitals
 
11 and hotels the loud noise can be very irritating.  This type of
 
12 disturbance inevitably raises complaints from building occupants.
 
13 Although the department of health has rules for vehicular noise
 
14 control for Oahu, such rules exempt these audible reverse warning
 
15 systems from provisions in these rules, and the department has no
 
16 authority to compel compliance.  The purposes of this Act are:
 
17      (1)  To allow the audible reverse warning system to be
 
18           manually turned off for noise control purposes and to
 
19           require bright flashing lights in the rear of the
 
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 1           vehicle to be used whenever the vehicle is reversing,
 
 2           regardless of whether the audible reverse warning
 
 3           system is turned on or off; and
 
 4      (2)  To require that new vehicles and existing vehicles
 
 5           which are redesigned or reequipped to have audible
 
 6           reverse systems which are modified to permit the
 
 7           warning system to be turned off manually and require
 
 8           that bright flashing lights in the rear of the vehicle
 
 9           be used whenever the vehicle is reversing.
 
10      SECTION 2.  Section 291-35.1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
11 amended to read as follows:
 
12      "§291-35.1  Regulation of bumper height[.]; reverse warning
 
13 systems.  (a)  Maximum bumper heights of motor vehicles shall be
 
14 determined by the weight category of gross vehicle weight rating
 
15 (GVWR) as measured from a level surface to the highest point on
 
16 the bottom of the bumper.  Maximum heights are as follows:
 
17      Gross Vehicle Weight Rating  Front     Rear
 
18      Passenger vehicles             22 inches    22 inches
 
19      4,500 lbs. and under           29 inches    29 inches
 
20      4,501 lbs. to 7,500 lbs.       33 inches    33 inches
 
21      7,501 lbs. to 10,000 lbs.      35 inches    35 inches
 
22      For any vehicle with bumpers or attaching components which
 
23 have been modified or altered from the original manufacturer's
 
 
 
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 1 design to conform with the maximum bumper height requirements of
 
 2 this section, the bumper height shall be measured from a level
 
 3 surface to the bottom of the bumper.  The vehicle frame rail,
 
 4 measured from a level surface to the bottom of the vehicle frame
 
 5 rail, shall not exceed the attached bumper height.  The maximum
 
 6 distance between vehicle body to vehicle frame rail shall not
 
 7 exceed three inches.  The distance between the vehicle body to
 
 8 vehicle frame rail shall be measured from the vehicle body mount
 
 9 seat to the vehicle frame rail mount seat.  "Bumper", for
 
10 purposes of this section means a horizontal load bearing
 
11 protective system installed on a motor vehicle which is
 
12 constructed of sturdy materials that will not shatter or split
 
13 upon moderate impact and provides adequate protection against
 
14 damages to the front and rear external lighting and reflective
 
15 devices, hood, trunk, doors, painted surfaces, cooling system,
 
16 exhaust system, and other components during a low speed impact.
 
17      (b)  Any vehicle that exceeds the Vehicle Equipment Safety
 
18 Commission - Regulation 12 recommended bumper height, based on
 
19 the gross vehicle weight rating, shall be equipped with an
 
20 audible reverse warning system[.]; provided that the audible
 
21 reverse warning system may be manually turned off for noise
 
22 control.  Bright flashing lights in the rear of the vehicle shall
 
23 be used whenever the vehicle is reversing, regardless of whether
 
 
 
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                                     H.B. NO.           1728 
                                                        H.D. 1
                                                        


 1 the audible reverse warning system is turned on or off.  The
 
 2 audible reverse warning system is not required on any open cab
 
 3 vehicle with a distance of less than four feet from the rear of
 
 4 the driver's seating position to the rear most part of the
 
 5 vehicle body.  Effective January 1, 2000, all vehicles with
 
 6 audible reverse warning systems may be equipped:
 
 7      (1)  To permit the audible reverse warning system to be
 
 8           turned off manually; and
 
 9      (2)  With bright flashing lights in the rear of the vehicle
 
10           to be used whenever the vehicle is reversing.
 
11 The director of transportation shall adopt rules pursuant to
 
12 chapter 91 to implement this subsection."
 
13      SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 
14 New statutory material is underscored.
 
15      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 1999.
 
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