Pennsylvania Code
Title 67 - TRANSPORTATION
Part I - Department of Transportation
Subpart A - Vehicle Code Provisions
Article VII - Vehicle Characteristics
Chapter 153 - LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT
Section 153.4 - Requirements
Universal Citation: 67 PA Code ยง 153.4
Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 44, November 2, 2024
(a) Required motor vehicle lighting equipment. Required equipment shall be as follows:
(1) Except as provided
in succeeding subparagraphs, each vehicle shall be equipped with at least the
number of lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment specified in
Tables I and III of Appendix A, as applicable. Required equipment shall be
designed to conform to the SAE Standards or Recommended Practices referenced in
those tables. Table I of Appendix A shall apply to multipurpose passenger
vehicles, trucks, trailers, and buses, 80 or more inches in overall width.
Table III of Appendix A shall apply to passenger cars and motorcycles and to
multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, trailers, and buses, less than 80
inches in overall width.
(i) A truck tractor
need not be equipped with turn signal lamps mounted on the rear if the turn
signal lamps at or near the front are so constructed, double-faced and so
located that they meet the requirements for double-faced turn signals specified
in SAE Standard J588e, "Turn Signal Lamps," September 1970.
(ii) A truck tractor need not be equipped
with any rear side marker devices, rear clearance lamps, and rear
identification lamps.
(iii)
Intermediate side marker devices shall not be required on vehicles less than 30
feet in overall length.
(iv)
Reflective material conforming to Federal Specification L-S-300, "Sheeting and
Tape, Reflective; Nonexposed Lens, Adhesive Backing," September 7, 1965, may be
used for side reflex reflectors if this material, as used on the vehicle, meets
the performance standards in Table I of SAE Standard J594d, "Reflex
Reflectors," March 1967.
(v) The
turn signal operating unit on each passenger car, and multipurpose passenger
vehicle, truck, and bus less than 80 inches in overall width manufactured on or
after January 1, 1973, shall be self-cancelling by steering wheel rotation and
capable of cancellation by a manually operated control.
(vi) Each stop lamp on any motor vehicle
manufactured between January 1, 1973, and September 1, 1978, may be designed to
conform to SAE Standard J586b, "Stop Lamps," June 1966. It shall meet the
photometric minimum candlepower requirements for class A red turn signal lamps
specified in SAE Standard J575d, "Test for Motor Vehicle Lighting Devices and
Components," August 1967. Each such lamp on a passenger car and on a
multipurpose passenger vehicle, truck, trailer, or bus less than 80 inches in
overall width shall have an effective projected luminous area not less than 3
1/2 square inches. If multiple compartment lamps or multiple lamps are used,
the effective projected luminous area of each compartment or lamp shall be not
less than 3 1/2 square inches; however, the photometric requirements may be met
by a combination of compartments or lamps.
(vii) Each turn signal lamp on any motor
vehicle, except motorcycles, manufactured between January 1, 1972, and
September 1, 1978, may be designed to conform to SAE Standard J588d, "Turn
Signal Lamps," June 1966, and shall meet the photometric minimum candlepower
requirements for Class A turn signal lamps specified in SAE Standard J575d,
"Tests for Motor Vehicle Lighting Devices and Components," August 1967. Each
such lamp on a passenger car and on a multipurpose passenger vehicle, truck,
trailer or bus less than 80 inches in overall width shall have an effective
projected luminous area not less than 3 1/2 square inches. If multiple
compartment lamps or multiple lamps are used, the effective projected luminous
area of each compartment or lamp shall be not less than 3 1/2 square inches;
however, the photometric requirements may be met by a combination of
compartments or lamps. Each such lamp on a multipurpose passenger vehicle,
truck, trailer or bus 80 inches or more in overall width shall have an
effective projected luminous area not less than 12 square inches.
(viii) For each passenger car, and each
multipurpose passenger vehicle, truck, trailer, and bus of less than 80 inches
in overall width the photometric minimum candlepower requirements for side
marker lamps specified in SAE Standard J592e "Clearance, Side Marker, and
Identification Lamps," July 1972, may be met for all inboard test points at a
distance of 15 feet from the vehicle and on a vertical plane that is
perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and located midway
between the front and rear side marker lamps.
(ix) Boat trailers need not be equipped with
both front and rear clearance lamps provided an amber, to front, and red, to
rear, clearance lamp is located at or near the midpoint on each side of the
trailer so as to indicate its extreme width.
(x) Multiple license plate lamps and backup
lamps may be used to fulfill the requirements of the SAE Standards applicable
to such lamps referenced in Appendixes A and C of this chapter.
(xi) A parking lamp shall not be required to
meet the minimum photometric values at each test point specified in Table I of
SAE Standard J222. "Parking Lamps (Position Lamps)," if the sum of the
candlepower measured at the test points within the groups listed in Figure 1 of
this section is not less than the sum of the candlepower values for such test
points specified in J222.
(xii) A
tail lamp, stop lamp, or turn signal lamp shall not be required to meet the
minimum photometric values at each test point specified in the referenced SAE
Standards, if the sum of the candlepower measured at the test points is not
less than that specified for each group listed in Figure 1 of this section, or
for motorcycle turn signal lamps, not less than 1/2 of such sum.
(xiii) [Reserved].
(xiv) [Reserved].
(xv) [Reserved].
(xvi) All passengers cars and multipurpose
passenger vehicles, trucks, and buses of less than 80 inches overall width
shall be equipped with turn signal operating units designed to complete a
durability test of 100,000 cycles.
(xvii) A trailer that is less than 30 inches
in overall width may be equipped with only one of each of the following lamps
and reflective devices, located at or near its vertical centerline: tail lamp,
stop lamp and near reflex reflector.
(xviii) A trailer that is less than 6 feet in
overall length, including the trailer tongue, need not be equipped with front
side marker lamps and front side reflex reflectors.
(xix) A lamp manufactured on or after January
1, 1974, and designed to use a type of bulb that has not been assigned a mean
spherical candlepower rating by its manufacturer and is not listed in SAE
Standard J573d, "Lamp Bulbs and Sealed Units," December 1968, shall meet the
applicable requirements of this standard when used with any bulb of the type
specified by the lamp manufacturer, operated at the bulb's design voltage. A
lamp that contains a sealed-in bulb shall meet these requirements with the bulb
operated at the design voltage of the bulb.
(xx) Except for a lamp having a sealed-in
bulb, a lamp manufactured on or after January 1, 1974, shall meet the
applicable requirements of this standard when tested with a bulb whose filament
is positioned within plus or minus 0.010 inch of the nominal design position
specified in SAE Standard J573d, "Lamp Bulbs and Sealed Units," December 1968
or specified by the bulb manufacturer.
(xxi) Instead of a headlighting system of two
Type 1 headlamps and two Type 2, 5 3/4-inch headlamps, a vehicle manufactured
on or after January 1, 1974 may be equipped with a headlighting system of two
Type 1A headlamps and two Type 2A headlamps that meet the following
requirements:
(A) Each Type 1A headlamp and
Type 2A headlamp shall be designed to conform with the requirements for a Type
1 headlamp and Type 2, 5 3/4-inch headlamp respectively, as specified in any
SAE Standard or Recommended Practice, referenced or subreferenced by Tables I
and III of Appendix A, except as provided in clauses (B) and (C).
(B) Each Type 1A and Type 2A headlamp shall
be designed to conform with the applicable dimensional requirements and
specifications of Figure 2 of this section. At a voltage of 12.8 volts, the
maximum design wattage with an allowable tolerance of plus 7.5% shall be 50
watts for a Type 1A headlamp and 60 watts for each filament of a Type 2A
headlamp.
(C) The following SAE
Standards and Recommended Practices or portions thereof, shall not apply:
(I) SAE Standard J571b, "Dimensional
Specifications for Sealed Beam Headlamp Units," April 1965.
(II) SAE Standard J573d, "Lamp Bulbs and
Sealed Units," December 1968.
(III)
Figure 1, SAE Recommended Practice J602, "Headlamp Aiming Device for
Mechanically Aimable Sealed Beam Headlamp Units," August 1963.
(IV) Paragraph 2 of "Retaining Ring
Requirements," and the paragraph "Proper Seating of Sealed Beam Unit," SAE
Standard J580a, "Sealed Beam Headlamp," June 1966.
(xxii) A backup lamp shall not be required to
meet the miniumum photometric values at each test point specified in Table I of
SAE Standard J593c "Backup Lamps," if the sum of the candlepower measured at
the test points within each group listed in Figure 3 of this section is not
less than the group totals specified in that figure.
(xxiii) Variable load turn signal flashers
shall comply with voltage drop and durability requirements with the maximum
design load connected and shall comply with starting time, flash rate, and
percent current "on" time requirements both with the minimum and with the
maximum design load connected.
(xxiv) The lowest voltage drop for turn
signal flashers and hazard warning signal flashers measured between the input
and load terminals shall not exceed 0.8 volt.
(xxv) The only required equipment for mobile
structure trailers shall be stop lamps, tail lamps, rear reflex reflectors and
turn signal lamps.
(xxvi) A
motor-driven cycle whose speed attainable in one mile is 30 miles per hour or
less need not be equipped with turn signal lamps.
(xxvii) A motor-driven cycle whose speed
attainable in one mile is 30 miles per hour or less may be equipped with a stop
lamp whose photometric output for the groups of test points specified in Figure
1 of this section is at least 1/2 of the minimum values set forth in that
figure.
(xxviii) Each tail lamp on
any motor vehicle manufactured before September 1, 1978, may be designed to
conform to SAE Standard J585c, "Tail Lamps," June 1966.
(xxix) Each turn signal lamp on a motorcycle
manufactured between January 1, 1973, and September 1, 1978, may be designed to
conform to SAE Standard J588d, "Turn Signal Lamps," June 1966.
(xxx) Except as provided in subparagraph
(xii), each turn signal lamp on a motorcycle shall meet 1/2 of the minimum
photometric values at each test point specified for Class A turn signal lamps
in SAE Standard J575d, "Tests for Motor Vehicle Lighting Devices and
Components," August 1967, or in SAE Standard J588e, "Turn Signal Lamps,"
September 1970, as applicable.
(xxxi) Each turn signal lamp on a motorcycle
manufactured on and after January 1, 1973, shall have an effective projected
luminous area not less than 3 1/2 square inches.
(xxxii) Note 6 of Table 1 in SAE Standard
J588e, "Turn Signal Lamps," September 1970, shall not apply. A stop lamp that
is not optically combined with a turn signal lamp shall remain activated when
the turn signal is flashing.
(xxxiii) Headlamps may conform to SAE
Standard J579c, "Sealed Beam Headlamp Units for Motor Vehicles," December 1974,
except that:
(A) In Table I of SAE Standard
J579c, the maximum candela at any test point shall not exceed 37,500.
(B) In Table II of SAE Standard J579c, the
combined maximum candela at any test point shall not exceed 37,500.
(C) At a voltage of 12.8 volts, the maximum
design wattage, with an allowable tolerance of plus 7.5%, shall be as follows:
50 watts for Type 1 (5 3/4-inch); 37.5 watts for Type 2 (5 3/4-inch) high beam;
and 60 watts for Type 2 (5 3/4-inch) low beam, Type 2 (7-inch) low beam and
Type 2 (7-inch) high beam.
(2) Plastic materials used for optical parts
such as lenses and reflectors shall conform to SAE Recommended Practice J576c,
May 1970, except that:
(i) Plastic materials
manufactured before January 1, 1976, may conform to SAE J576b, August
1966.
(ii) Plastic lenses used for
inner lenses or those covered by another material and not exposed directly to
sunlight shall meet the requirements of paragraphs 3.4 and 4.2 of SAE J576b, or
J576c, as applicable, when covered by the outer lens or other
material.
(iii) After the outdoor
exposure test, the haze and loss of surface luster of plastic materials used
for lamp lenses shall not be greater than 30% haze as measured by ASTM-1003-61,
"Haze and Luminous Transmittance of Transparent Plastic."
(iv) After the outdoor exposure test, plastic
materials used for reflex reflectors shall meet the appearance requirements of
paragraph 4.2.2 of SAE J576b or J576c as applicable.
(3) No additional lamp, reflective device, or
other motor vehicle equipment shall be installed that impairs the effectiveness
of lighting equipment required by this chapter.
(4) Each school bus shall be equipped with a
system of four red signal lamps designed to conform to SAE Standard J887,
"School Bus Red Signal Lamps," July 1964, and four amber signal lamps designed
to conform to that standard, except for their color, and except that their
candlepower shall be at least 2 1/2 times that specified for red signal lamps.
Both red and amber lamps shall be installed in accordance with SAE Standard
J887, except that:
(i) Each amber signal lamp
shall be located near each red signal lamp, at the same level, but closer to
the vertical centerline of the bus.
(ii) The system shall be wired so that the
amber signal lamps are activated only by manual or foot operation, and if
activated, are automatically deactivated and the red signal lamps automatically
activated when the bus entrance door is opened.
(5) The color in all lighting equipment
covered by this standard shall be in accordance with SAE Standard J578a, April
1965, "Color Specification for Electric Signal Lighting Devices."
(b) Other requirements. The words "it is recommended that," "recommendations," or "should be" appearing in any SAE Standard or Recommended Practice referenced or subreferenced in this chapter shall be read as setting forth mandatory requirements, except that the aiming pads on the lens face and the black area surrounding the signal lamp, recommended in SAE Standard J887, "School Bus Red Signal Lamps," July 1964, shall not be required.
(c) Location of required equipment. Except as provided in paragraphs (1)-(8), each lamp, reflective device, and item of associated equipment shall be securely mounted on a rigid part of the vehicle other than glazing that is not designed to be removed except for repair, in accordance with the requirements of Table I or III of Appendix A of this chapter and in locations specified in Table II of Appendix A of this chapter, multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, trailers and buses 80 or more inches in overall width, or Table IV of Appendix A of this chapter, all passenger cars, and motorcycles, and multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, trailers and buses less than 80 inches in overall width, as applicable.
(1) Except as provided in this
paragraph, each lamp and reflective device shall be located so that it meets
the visibility requirements specified in any applicable SAE Standard or
Recommended Practice. In addition, no part of the vehicle shall prevent a
parking lamp, tail lamp, stop lamp, turn signal lamp, or backup lamp from
meeting its photometric output at any applicable group of test points specified
in Figures 1 and 3 of this section, or prevent any other lamp from meeting the
photometric output at any test specified in any applicable SAE Standard or
Recommended Practice. However, if motor vehicle equipment-for example, mirrors,
snow plows, wrecker booms, backhoes, and winches-prevents compliance with this
paragraph by any required lamp or reflective device, an auxilliary lamp or
device meeting the requirements of this paragraph shall be provided. Clearance
lamps may be mounted at a location other than on the front and rear if
necessary to indicate the overall width of a vehicle, or for protection from
damage during normal operation of the vehicle, and at such a location they need
not be visible at 45° inboard.
(2) On a truck tractor, the red rear reflex
reflectors may be mounted on the back of the cab, at a minimum height not less
than four inches above the height of the rear tires.
(3) On a trailer, the amber front side reflex
reflectors and amber front side marker lamps may be located as far forward as
practicable exclusive of the trailer tongue.
(4) When the rear identification lamps are
mounted at the extreme height of a vehicle, rear clearance lamps need not meet
the requirement of Table II of Appendix A of this chapter that they be located
as close as practicable to the top of the vehicle.
(5) The center of the lens referred to in SAE
Standard J593c, "Backup Lamps," February 1968, shall be the optical
center.
(6) On a truck tractor,
clearance lamps mounted on the cab may be located to indicate the width of the
cab, rather than the overall width of the vehicle.
(7) The requirement that there be not less
than four inches between a front turn signal lamp and a low beam headlamp,
specified in SAE Standard J588e, "Turn Signal Lamps," September 1970, shall not
apply if the sum of the candlepower values of the turn signal lamp measured at
the test points within each group listed in Figure 1 of this section is not
less than 2 1/2 times the sum specified for each group for yellow turn signal
lamps.
(d) Equipment combinations. Two or more lamps, reflective devices, or items of associated equipment may be combined if the requirements for each lamp, reflective device, and item of associated equipment are met, except that no clearance lamp shall be combined optically with any tail lamp or identification lamp.
(e) Special wiring requirements. Special wiring requirements shall be as follows:
(1) Each vehicle shall have a
means of switching between lower and upper headlamp beams that conforms to SAE
Recommended Practice J564a "Headlamp Beam Switching," April 1964, or to SAE
Recommended Practice J565b, "Semi-Automatic Headlamp Beam Switching Devices,"
February 1969.
(2) Each vehicle
shall have a means for indicating to the driver when the upper beams of the
headlamps are on that conforms to SAE Recommended Practice J564a, April 1964,
except that the signal color need not be red.
(3) The tail lamps on each vehicle shall be
activated when the headlamps are activated in a steady-burning state.
(4) The stop lamps on each vehicle shall be
activated upon application of the service brakes.
(5) The vehicular hazard warning signal
operating unit on each vehicle shall operate independently of the ignition or
equivalent switch, and when activated, shall cause to flash simultaneously
sufficient turn signal lamps to meet, as a minimum, the turn signal lamp
photometric requirements of this chapter.
(6) Each vehicle equipped with a turn signal
operating unit shall also have an illuminated pilot indicator. Failure of one
or more turn signal lamps to operate shall be indicated in accordance with SAE
Standard J588e, "Turn Signal Lamps," September 1970, except when a
variable-load turn signal flasher is used on a truck, bus or multipurpose
passenger vehicle 80 or more inches in overall width, on a truck that is
capable of accommodating a slide-in camper, or on any vehicle equipped to tow
trailers.
(7) On all passenger
cars, motorcycles, and multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, and buses of
less than 80 inches overall width:
(i) When
the parking lamps are activated, the tail lamps, license plate lamps and side
marker lamps shall also be activated.
(ii) When the headlamps are activated in a
steady-burning state, the tail lamps, parking lamps, license plate lamps and
side marker lamps shall also be activated.
(f) Activated lamps. When activated:
(1) Turn signal lamps, hazard
warning signal lamps and school bus warning lamps shall flash.
(2) All other lamps shall be steady-burning,
except that means may be provided to flash headlamps and side marker lamps for
signaling purposes.
(g) Replacement equipment. Requirements for replacement equipment shall be as follows:
(1) Each lamp, reflective
device or item of associated equipment manufactured to replace any lamp,
reflective device or item of associated equipment on any vehicle to which this
chapter applies, shall be designed to conform with this chapter.
(2) Each lamp, reflective device or item of
associated equipment to which paragraph (1) applies may be labeled with the
symbol "DOT", which shall constitute a certification that it conforms with
applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards.
This section cited in 67 Pa. Code § 153.5 (relating to subreferenced SAE Standards and Recommended Practices).
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