H*2307(Rat #0300, Act #0199 of 1985)  General Bill, By F. Gilbert, R.L. Altman, 
D.M. Beasley, L.E. Bennett, L. Blanding, T. Ferguson, J.R. Klapman, D.E. Martin, 
D.M. McEachin, J.W. McLeod, H.L. Mitchell, H.E. Pearce, Rhoad, S.V. Shelton, 
B.E. Thrailkill, J.H. Toal and D. Williams
 A Bill to amend Section 56-5-4630, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976,
 relating to loads that extend more than four feet beyond the rear of a vehicle
 be required to display a flag or lamp to the rear of the load so as to require
 that the red flag be not less than twelve inches by twenty-four inches, and to
 exempt utility companies responding to an emergency, and to amend Section
 56-5-4140, as amended, relating to weights and combination of vehicles and
 loads so as to exempt trucks carrying agricultural products from conforming to
 the axle spacing requirements except on the interstate highway system.-amended
 title

   01/31/85  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-495
   01/31/85  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works HJ-495
   03/14/85  House  Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Education and Public Works HJ-1287
   03/19/85  House  Amended HJ-1432
   03/19/85  House  Objection by Rep. McAbee, P. Bradley, Snow, G.
                     Brown, Chamblee, Lockemy, HJ-1434
   03/19/85  House  Objection by Rep. Waldrop & Barfield HJ-1434
   03/21/85  House  Objection withdrawn by Rep. Lockemy & Barfield HJ-156
   03/26/85  House  Objection withdrawn by Rep. Snow HJ-1630
   04/25/85  House  Objection withdrawn by Rep. G. Brown, Chamblee, &
                     Waldrop HJ-2720
   05/01/85  House  Objection withdrawn by Rep. Snow HJ-2828
   05/01/85  House  Objection by Rep. Blackwell & Alexander HJ-2828
   05/30/85  House  Objection withdrawn by Rep. McAbee HJ-3669
   06/05/85  House  Objection withdrawn by Rep. Blackwell HJ-3953
   06/05/85  House  Amended HJ-3953
   06/05/85  House  Read second time HJ-3954
   06/05/85  House  Unanimous consent for third reading on next
                     legislative day HJ-3954
   06/06/85  House  Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-4012
   06/06/85  Senate Introduced, read first time, placed on calendar
                     without reference SJ-2868
   06/13/85  Senate Read second time SJ-2962
   06/13/85  Senate Unanimous consent for third reading on next
                     legislative day SJ-2962
   06/14/85  Senate Read third time and enrolled SJ-2978
   06/18/85         Ratified R 300
   06/24/85         Signed By Governor
   06/24/85         Effective date 06/24/85
   06/24/85         Act No. 199
   07/10/85         Copies available

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 56-5-4630, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO LOADS THAT EXTEND MORE THAN FOUR FEET BEYOND THE REAR OF A VEHICLE BE REQUIRED TO DISPLAY A FLAG OR LAMP TO THE REAR OF THE LOAD SO AS TO REQUIRE THAT THE RED FLAG BE NOT LESS THAN TWELVE INCHES BY TWENTY-FOUR INCHES, AND TO EXEMPT UTILITY COMPANIES RESPONDING TO AN EMERGENCY, AND TO AMEND SECTION 56-5-4140, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO WEIGHTS AND COMBINATIONS OF VEHICLES AND LOADS SO AS TO EXEMPT TRUCKS CARRYING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS FROM CONFORMING TO THE AXLE SPACING REQUIREMENTS EXCEPT ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Flag or lamp to be displayed

SECTION 1. Section 56-5-4630 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 56-5-4630. Whenever the load upon any vehicle extends to the rear four feet or more beyond the bed or body of the vehicle there must be displayed at the extreme rear end of the load, at the times specified in Section 56-5-4450, a red light or lantern plainly visible from a distance of at least five hundred feet to the sides and rear. The red light or lantern required under this section is in addition to the red rear light required upon every vehicle. At any other time there must be displayed at the extreme rear end of the load a red flag or cloth not less than twelve inches by twenty-four inches and so hung that the entire area is visible to the driver of a vehicle approaching from the rear.

Utility companies when responding to an emergency situation such as caused by storms or accidents are exempt from the provisions of this section."

Trucks carrying agricultural products exempt

SECTION 2. Subsection (3) of Section 56-5-4140 of the 1976 Code, added by Act 500 of 1980, is amended to read:

"(3) Except on the interstate highway system:

(a) Dump trucks, dump trailers, trucks carrying agricultural products, concrete mixing trucks, fuel oil trucks, line trucks, and trucks designated and constructed for special type work or use are not required to conform to the axle spacing requirements of this section but the vehicle is limited to a weight of twenty thousand pounds per axle plus scale tolerances and the maximum gross weight of these vehicles may not exceed the maximum weight allowed by this section for the appropriate number of axles, irrespective of the distance between axles, plus allowable scale tolerances.

(b) Concrete mixing trucks which operate within fifteen miles of their home base are not required to conform to the requirements of this section but these vehicles are limited to a maximum load of the rated capacity of the concrete mixer, the true gross load not to exceed sixty-six thousand pounds. All of these vehicles shall have at least three axles each with brake-equipped wheels."

Time effective

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon approval by the Governor.