Subject: Motor Vehicles; Wreckers; Single-Axle Tow Dolly; Stiff Hitch

BILL AS INTRODUCEDS.54

2007Page 1

S.54

Introduced by Committee on Transportation

Date:

Subject: Motor vehicles; wreckers; single-axle tow dolly; stiff hitch

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to clarify existing law regarding wreckers and to allowwreckers to tow unregistered vehicles on public highways.

AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE WRECKERS

It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:

Sec. 1. 23 V.S.A. § 4(43)and (51)are amended to read:

(43) “Truck crane” shall mean a motor truck equipped with a permanently mounted hoisting apparatus, winch, or derrick, designed and used for the moving of motor vehicles or other objects, with no provision for carrying a load on the body of such truck crane except an inoperable motor vehicle, parts and equipment used for the operation and for the repair of motor vehicles, and equipment used for the operation of a hoisting apparatus, winch, or derrick.

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(51) “Single-axle tow dolly” is a vehicle towed by a self-propelled motor vehicle and designed and used exclusively to transport anothervalidly registered self-propelled motor vehicle and upon which the front or rear wheels of the towed self-propelled motor vehicle are mounted, while the wheels of the towed self-propelled motor vehicle remain in contact with the ground. These vehicles shall not be subject to registration or titling nor shall they be treated as a separate vehicle when used in combination with another vehicle. They shall be subject to equipment safety requirements.

Sec. 2. 23 V.S.A. § 4(76) and (77)are added to read:

(76) “Wrecker” shall mean a motor truck equipped with a permanently mounted hoisting apparatus, winch, or derrick, designed for moving and towing motor vehicles, with no provision for carrying a load on the body of the truck except inoperable motor vehicles, parts and equipment used for the repair of motor vehicles, and equipment used for the operation of a hoisting apparatus, winch, or derrick.

(77) “Stiff hitch” shall mean a tow bar used by a self-propelled motor vehicle to tow another validly registered self-propelled motor vehicle while all the wheels of the towed vehicle remain in contact with the ground.

Sec. 3. 23 V.S.A. § 367b is added to read:

§ 367b. USE OF WRECKERS

A motor truck that is registered as a wrecker may tow a motor vehicle on the highway without the towed vehicle being required to be registered.