Rhode Island General Laws 31-23-27. Rear wheel flaps on buses, trucks, and trailers
No person shall operate or cause to be operated any bus, truck, full trailer or semi-trailer, of registered gross weight exceeding three (3) tons, on any public highway in this state unless it is equipped with suitable metal protectors or substantial flexible flaps behind the rearmost wheels. In case the rear wheels are not covered at the top and rear by fender, body, or other parts of the vehicle, the rear wheels shall be covered at the top and rear by protective means of a standard type or design and so installed as to reduce, as far as practicable, the wheels from throwing dirt, water, or other materials on the windshields of following vehicles, except in cases in which the motor vehicle is so designed and constructed that the requirements of this section are accomplished by reason of the fender or body construction or other means of enclosure. However, § 31-23-26 — § 31-23-28 shall not apply to vehicles where their construction is such that complete freedom around the wheel area is necessary to secure the designed use of the vehicle. Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.
History of Section.
P.L. 1950, ch. 2595, art. 34, § 41; P.L. 1955, ch. 3539, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 31-23-27; P.L. 2002, ch. 292, § 120.
Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 31-23-27
- Motor vehicle: means any vehicle driven or drawn by mechanical power for use on the public streets, roads, and highways;
(2) "Odometer" means an instrument for measuring and recording the actual distance a motor vehicle travels while in operation;
(3) "Person" means any individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, or business trust including, but not limited to, private individuals and motor vehicle dealers, both wholesale and retail, whether the private individual or dealer is a dealer in the ordinary course of business or not;
(4) "Repair and replacement" means to restore to a sound working condition by replacing the instrument or any part thereof or by correcting what is inoperative;
(5) "Transfer" means to acquire ownership by purchase, gift, bequest, or any other means. See Rhode Island General Laws 31-23.2-2
- person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6