H.B. 348

1

EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS ON LARGE
2 TRUCKS
3 1998 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Sponsor: Carl R. Saunders
6 AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES; AMENDING CERTAIN VEHICLE
7 SPLASHGUARD REQUIREMENTS; AND MAKING TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.
8 This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
9 AMENDS:
10 41-6-150.10, as last amended by Chapter 13, Laws of Utah 1992
11 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
12 Section 1. Section 41-6-150.10 is amended to read:
13 41-6-150.10. Splashguards or flaps at rear wheels of trucks, trailers, truck tractors,
14 or altered motor vehicles -- Exemptions.
15 (1) The definitions in Section 41-6-148.29 apply to this section.
16 (2) (a) Except as provided in Subsections (3) and (4), [when operated] a person may not
17 operate a vehicle on a highway[, a] unless the vehicle is equipped with wheel covers, mudguards,
18 flaps, or splash aprons behind the rearmost wheels to prevent, as far as practicable, the wheels from
19 throwing dirt, water, or other materials on other vehicles if the vehicle is:
20 (i) a motor vehicle that has been altered from the original manufacturer's frame height or
21 in any other manner [so that the motor vehicle's wheels may throw dirt, water, or other materials
22 on other vehicles] that may increase spray on other vehicles;
23 (ii) any [truck] vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,500 pounds or more;
24 (iii) any truck tractor; [and] or
25 (iv) any trailer or semitrailer with an unladen weight of 750 pounds or more [shall be
26 equipped with wheel covers, mudguards, flaps, or splash aprons behind the rearmost wheels to
27 prevent, as far as practicable, the wheels from throwing dirt, water, or other materials on other

1 vehicles].
2 (b) The wheel covers, mudguards, flaps, or splash aprons shall:
3 (i) be at least as wide as the tires they are protecting;
4 (ii) be directly in line with the tires; and
5 (iii) have a ground clearance of not more than 50% of the diameter of a rear-axle wheel,
6 under any conditions of loading of the motor vehicle.
7 (3) Wheel covers, mudguards, flaps, or splash aprons are not required if the motor vehicle,
8 trailer, or semitrailer is designed and constructed so that the requirements of Subsection [(1)](2)
9 are accomplished by means of fenders, body construction, or other means of enclosure.
10 (4) Wheel covers, mudguards, flaps, or splash aprons are not required on a vehicle
11 operated or driven during fair weather on well-maintained, hard-surfaced roads if the motor
12 vehicle:
13 (a) was made in America prior to 1935;
14 (b) is any identifiable vintage or replica of a vintage that is titled as a vintage vehicle; or
15 (c) is a street rod, which means a motor vehicle with a body that is or resembles the body
16 of a motor vehicle made prior to 1949 for its original sale and which has a significant drive train
17 update.
18 (5) [Rear] A person may not operate a vehicle on a highway unless rear wheels not covered
19 at the top by fenders, bodies, or other parts of the vehicle [shall be] are covered at the top by
20 protective means extending rearward at least to the center line of the rearmost axle.




Legislative Review Note
as of 1-27-98 2:53 PM

A limited legal review of this bill raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

- 2 -