Bill > H3019

This bill mandates the installation of specific safety equipment on certain large vehicles to enhance the protection of pedestrians and cyclists. It defines a "convex mirror" as a mirror on the front of a vehicle that allows the operator to see a specific area three feet above the road and one foot forward from the vehicle's midpoint, extending across its width. Additionally, it defines a "lateral protective device" as equipment installed between the front and rear wheels to prevent injuries to vulnerable road users, particularly from falling under the vehicle. The bill requires that most motor vehicles weighing over 10,000 pounds, trailers over 10,000 pounds unladen, semi-trailer units over 26,000 pounds gross weight, and certain conventional cab trucks must be equipped with both a lateral protective device and a convex mirror, with exceptions for ambulances, fire apparatus, low-speed vehicles, and tractors. The registrar, responsible for overseeing vehicle regulations, will establish standards for these devices and may allow alternative compliance methods for the convex mirror, such as cameras or infrared devices, and will implement a phased-in schedule for compliance starting no later than July 1, 2016.