REPORT TITLE:
Vehicle; Audible Warning


DESCRIPTION:
Enables vehicle backup warning beepers to be turned off between
12:00 midnight and 5:30 a.m.  Requires bright flashing lights
when reversing, if beeper is turned off (HB2880 HD1).

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        2880
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
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.  Findings and purpose.  The legislature finds
 
 2 that, as part of the increased development of Hawaii's towns and
 
 3 cities, there has been an increase in noise pollution.  One of
 
 4 the contributors to noise pollution is the loud beeping sound
 
 5 emitted by large vehicles when they are reversing.  This is due
 
 6 to a state law which requires certain large vehicles to be
 
 7 equipped with an audible reverse warning system.  This safety
 
 8 measure is meant to warn pedestrians and others in the back of a
 
 9 large vehicle that the vehicle is about to reverse.  However,
 
10 when these vehicles operate late at night or near hospitals or
 
11 hotels, the loud noise can be very irritating and inevitably
 
12 raises complaints.  Although the department of health has rules
 
13 to control vehicular noise, these rules exempt these audible
 
14 reverse warning systems, and the department has no authority to
 
15 compel compliance.  The purpose of this Act is to provide an
 
16 option to turn off the audible reverse warning system for noise
 
17 control purposes between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 5:30
 
18 a.m.; provided the switch activates bright flashing lights in the
 
19 rear of the vehicle, used whenever the vehicle is reversing
 

 
Page 2                                                     2880
                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 without an audible warning.
 
 2      SECTION 2.  Section 291-35.1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 3 amended to read as follows:
 
 4      "�291-35.1  Regulation of bumper height[.]; reverse warning
 
 5 systems.  (a)  Maximum bumper heights of motor vehicles shall be
 
 6 determined by the weight category of gross vehicle weight rating
 
 7 (GVWR) as measured from a level surface to the highest point on
 
 8 the bottom of the bumper.  Maximum heights are as follows:
 
 9      Gross Vehicle Weight Rating  Front     Rear
 
10      Passenger vehicles             22 inches    22 inches
 
11      4,500 lbs. and under           29 inches    29 inches
 
12      4,501 lbs. to 7,500 lbs.       33 inches    33 inches
 
13      7,501 lbs. to 10,000 lbs.      35 inches    35 inches
 
14      For any vehicle with bumpers or attaching components which
 
15 have been modified or altered from the original manufacturer's
 
16 design to conform with the maximum bumper height requirements of
 
17 this section, the bumper height shall be measured from a level
 
18 surface to the bottom of the bumper.  The vehicle frame rail,
 
19 measured from a level surface to the bottom of the vehicle frame
 
20 rail, shall not exceed the attached bumper height.  The maximum
 
21 distance between vehicle body to vehicle frame rail shall not
 
22 exceed three inches.  The distance between the vehicle body to
 
23 vehicle frame rail shall be measured from the vehicle body mount
 

 
Page 3                                                     2880
                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 seat to the vehicle frame rail mount seat.  "Bumper", for
 
 2 purposes of this section, means a horizontal load bearing
 
 3 protective system installed on a motor vehicle which is
 
 4 constructed of sturdy materials that will not shatter or split
 
 5 upon moderate impact and provides adequate protection against
 
 6 damages to the front and rear external lighting and reflective
 
 7 devices, hood, trunk, doors, painted surfaces, cooling system,
 
 8 exhaust system, and other components during a low speed impact.
 
 9      (b)  Any vehicle that exceeds the Vehicle Equipment Safety
 
10 Commission - Regulation 12 recommended bumper height, based on
 
11 the gross vehicle weight rating, shall be equipped with an
 
12 audible reverse warning system[.]; provided, however, that the
 
13 audible reverse warning system may be manually turned off for
 
14 noise control between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 5:30 a.m.,
 
15 if the manual switch activates bright flashing lights in the rear
 
16 of the vehicle, used whenever the vehicle is reversing with the
 
17 audible reverse warning system turned off.  Any switch permitting
 
18 the audible reverse warning system to be manually disengaged must
 
19 itself operate to turn off automatically after a fixed period of
 
20 times. The audible reverse warning system is not required on any
 
21 open cab vehicle with a distance of less than four feet from the
 
22 rear of the driver's seating position to the rear most part of
 
23 the vehicle body.
 

 
Page 4                                                     2880
                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      The director of transportation shall adopt rules pursuant to
 
 2 chapter 91 to implement this subsection."
 
 3      SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed.
 
 4 New statutory material is underscored.
 
 5      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2000.