Pennsylvania Act 2018-115 — VEHICLE CODE (75 PA.C.S.) - RESTRICTIONS ON USE OF HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES, OPERATION BY PERSONS UNDER AGE SIXTEEN AND MUFFLERS AND SOUND CONTROLS

Act text

Session of 2018

No. 2018-115

HB 1936

AN ACT

Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in general provisions relating to size, weight and load, further providing for restrictions on use of highways and bridges; and, in snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles, further providing for operation by persons under age sixteen and for mufflers and sound control.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Sections 4902(a)(4) and (5), 7725(b.1) and 7743(a) of Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:

§ 4902. Restrictions on use of highways and bridges.

(a) Restrictions based on condition of highway or bridge.--

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(4) The methodology under paragraph (3) may allow for exemptions from 67 Pa. Code Ch. 189 (relating to hauling in excess of posted weight limit) related to the at-risk industry [sectors] of logging or other forest products experiencing a 20% decline in Statewide employment between March 2002 and March 2011, as determined by the Department of Labor and Industry.

(5) The exemptions and related requirements under paragraph (4) may remain in existence only until December 31, [2018] 2023 . Exemptions for local delivery or pickup may not include traffic going to or coming from a site at which minerals, natural gas or natural resources are developed, harvested or extracted, notwithstanding whether the site is located at a residence, a commercial site or on farmland. Delivery or pickup of logs or other forest products to or from permanent processing mills located on or reachable only through posted highways shall be considered local delivery or pickup. Delivery or pickup of coal to or from permanent coal reprocessing or preparation plants located on or reachable only through posted highways and not on the same posted highway as a site at which coal is extracted shall be considered local delivery or pickup.

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§ 7725. Operation by persons under age sixteen.

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(b.1) ATV size restrictions.--No person shall operate an ATV bearing a certification label conforming to ANSI/SVIA 1 - 2010 , or its successor standard, in violation of the age recommendation warning label affixed by the manufacturer. An ATV not bearing a certification label conforming to ANSI/SVIA 1 - 2010 , or its successor standard, operated in this Commonwealth by a person eight or nine years of age shall have an engine size of 70cc or less.

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§ 7743. Mufflers and sound control.

(a) General rule.--It is unlawful to operate a snowmobile or an ATV which is not equipped at all times with a muffler in good working order which blends the exhaust sound into the overall snowmobile or ATV sound and is in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual [noise] sound . The exhaust system shall not emit or produce a sharp popping or crackling sound. The sound intensity produced by a snowmobile shall not exceed 82dbA when measured in accordance with SAE Recommended Practice J 192 Exterior Sound Level for Snowmobiles, as amended. The department may by regulation adopt more stringent [noise] sound requirements for snowmobiles. The department shall by regulation adopt [noise] sound requirements for in-use operation of ATV's using measurement procedures in accordance with [ANSI/SAE] SAE Recommended Practice J 1287 July 1998, Measurement of Exhaust Level of Stationary Motorcycles. The sound level intensity produced by an ATV manufactured before January 1, 1998, shall not exceed 99dbA, or decibels, when measured at 20 inches. The sound level intensity produced by an ATV manufactured on or after January 1, 1998, shall not exceed 96dbA, or decibels, when measured at 20 inches.

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Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

APPROVED--The 24th day of October, A.D. 2018.

TOM WOLF