Sidebilder
PDF
ePub
[blocks in formation]

(HOUSE BILL No. 474. APPROVED JUNE 30, 1919.)

AN ACT in relation to motor vehicles and to repeal a certain Act therein named.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Whenever the term "motor vehicle" is used in this Act, it shall be construed to include automobiles, locomobiles, motor bicycles, tractors, traction engines, and all other vehicles propelled otherwise than by muscular power, and including also vehicles or trailers, or semi-trailers. pulled or towed by a motor vehicle, but excluding cars of electric and steam railways and other motor vehicles running only upon fixed rails or tracks. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to apply to or to affect bicycles or tricycles or such other vehicles as are propelled exclusively by muscular pedal power.

Whenever the term "improved highway" is used in this Act it shall be construed to include roads of concrete, brick, asphalt, macadam and gravel.

§ 2. This Act shall be known as the "Motor Vehicle Law," and may hereafter be referred to by that designation. For the purposes of this Act, motor vehicles as a class shall be divided into two divisions; viz.:

First: Those vehicles which are designed and used for the carrying of not more than seven persons.

Second: Those vehicles which are designed and used for pulling or carrying freight and also those vehicles or motor cars which are designed and used for the carrying of more than seven persons.

3. The weights and dimensions of vehicles of either division mentioned in section 2 of this Act shall be limited as follows, towit:

(1) The maximum gross load to be permitted on any axle of any vehicle shall not exceed sixteen thousand pounds; and the gross weight of any vehicle, including the weight of the vehicle and maximum load. shall not exceed 800 pounds per inch of the average width of tire of the road wheels of such vehicles in actual contact with the surface of the road.

(2) Weight limits 50% above those provided for for herein may be permitted by ordinance in cities having a population of more than 20,000 but such increase shall not apply to vehicles when outside the limits of such a city.

(3) The maximum width of any vehicle and its load shall not exceed 8 feet, excepting loads of loose hay, straw, corn fodder, or other similar farm products.

(4) Upon the filing in the office of the Secretary of State of an application for the first registration of vehicles described in the second division of section 2 of this Act, and the payment of the registration fee hereinafter provided, the Secretary of State, or his duly authorized agent, shall issue to such applicant in addition to the regular number plate, a metal plate which shall not be less than four inches long and two inches wide, upon which shall be impressed, with a metal die, the weight in pounds of such vehicle and maximum load in conformity with and as provided by this Act, which metal plate aforesaid shall be attached to said vehicle in a conspicuous place and at all times carried thereupon.

(5) Where trailers are used the length of any vehicle, or vehicles. combined with their trailers, shall not exceed 65 feet; provided that upon application to the highway or street officials having proper jurisdiction over a particular highway special permits in writing may be granted for the operation of trains of trailers exceeding in length the foregoing, subject to such conditions as such highway or street officials may prescribe. On all highways under the control of or required to be maintained in whole or in part by the State such permission shall be obtained from the Department of Public Works and Buildings.

§ 4. After the passage and approval of this Act, no metal tired vehicle, including tractors, traction engines and other similar vehicles, shall be operated over any improved public highways of this State, if such vehicle has on the periphery of any of the road wheels any block, stud, flange, cleat, ridge, bolt, lug, or any projection of metal or wood which projects radially beyond the tread or traffic surface of the tire: except that this prohibition shall not apply to tractors or traction engines equipped with what is known as caterpillar tractors, when such caterpillar does not contain any projections of any kind likely to injure the surface of the road; provided, however, that tractors, traction engines and similar vehicles may be operated which have upon their road wheels V-shaped, diagonal or other cleats arranged in such a manner as to be continuously in contact with the road surface, provided that the gross weight upon such wheels per inch of width of such cleats in contact with the road surface, when measured in the direction of the axle of the vehicle, does not exceed 800 pounds.

§ 5. All motor vehicles and all trailers or other vehicles in tow thereof, or thereunto attached, operating upon the improved public highways, shall have tires of rubber or some material of equal resiliency; provided that tires shall be considered defective and shall not be permitted to be used if the rubber or other material has been worn or otherwise reduced to a thickness of less than three-fourths of an inch or

if such tires have been so worn or otherwise damaged as to cause undue vibration when the vehicle is in motion or to cause undue concentration of the wheel load on the surface of the road: And, provided further that this requirement shall not apply to agricultural tractors or traction engines or to agricultural machinery, including wagons being used for agricultural purposes in tow thereof, or to trailers carrying agricultural products drawn by trucks at a speed not to exceed ten miles per hour or to road rollers or road building machinery.

§ 6. No motor vehicle shall be operated upon the improved public highways of the State which shall be equipped with any anti-skid or non-slip device so constructed that any rigid or non-flexible portion of same comes in contact with the pavement; provided that this section shall not apply to agricultural tractors or traction engines or similar metal-tired vehicles which have anti-skid devices upon the road wheels and which are otherwise permitted to be used under the provisions of this Act.

§ 7. No tractor, traction engine or other metal tired vehicle, weighing more than four tons, including the weight of the vehicle and its load, shall drive up onto, off or over the edge of any paved public highway in this State, without protecting such edge by putting down solid planks or other suitable device to prevent such vehicle from breaking off the edges of corners of such pavement.

8. Every owner of a vehicle of the first division, as described in section 2 of this Act, which shall be driven in this State, shall, except as otherwise provided in this Act, within ten days after he becomes the owner of such motor vehicle or motor bicycle, file in the office of the Secretary of State an application for a certificate of registration properly sworn to, setting forth his name and address, with a brief description of the vehicle, or bicycle, to be registered, including the name of the maker, factory and engine numbers, style of vehicle or bicycle and the motor power and (except in the case of electrically propelled vehicles) the amount of such motor power stated in figures of horse power, in accordance with such standard rating as may be prescribed by the Secretary of State, on a blank to be prepared and furnished by such Secretary of State for that purpose and shall pay to said Secretary of State, for each calendar year from and after January 1, 1920, a registration fee for motor bicycles and motor vehicles of said first division, so registered, at the following rates; for each motor bicycle, the sum of $4.00 per annum; for each motor vehicle of 25 horsepower, and less, the sum of $8.00 per annum; for each motor vehicle of 35 horsepower and more than 25 horsepower, the sum of $12.00 per annum; for each motor vehicle of 50 horsepower and more than 35 horsepower, the sum of $20.00 per annum; for each motor vehicle of more than 50 horsepower, the sum of $25.00 per annum; for each and every electrically propelled motor vehicle, the sum of $12.00 per annum; provided, the first registration fee for each motor vehicle or motor bicycle shall be reduced 50 per cent if payable during the second half of the calendar year, and that no certificate for re-registration shall issue for a less sum than the fee required for a calendar year. Said registration shall be made on the

date the application is received and filed by the Secretary of State and expire with the last day of the calendar year in which such registration is made. Upon the filing in the office of the Secretary of State of said application and the payment of the registration fee, as herein before provided, the Secretary of State or his duly authorized agent, shall, without further fee, assign to such motor vehicle, or motor bicycle, as described in such application, à distinctive number and shall issue to the owner of such motor vehicle or motor bicycle, as it is described in the application filed, a certificate of registration, which certificate shall be in the form of a card, which may be carried in the pocket, and which certificate shall contain the descriptive number so assigned to such motor vehicle or motor bicycle, the name and address of the owner, a brief description of such motor vehicle or motor bicycle, stating the name of the manufacturer, the kind of motor power, and the amount of such motor power stated in figures of horsepower or the capacity of such motor vehicle or motor bicycle if electrically propelled. Upon filing in the office of the Secretary of State an affidavit to the effect that the original front or rear motor vehicle number plate or original motor bicycle number plate is lost, stolen, or destroyed, a duplicate certificate of registration or duplicate motor bicycle number plate will be furnished at 50 cents! each and a duplicate front and rear motor vehicle number plate will be furnished at $1.00 each. The Secretary of State shall keep separate alphabetical lists of all owners of motor vehicles of the first division, and all owners of motor vehicles of the second division, with the address of each, the registration number, the date of filing of the application and the description of the motor vehicle or motor bicycle; and shall not thereafter assign a number once assigned to a motor vehicle or a motor bicycle owned by any other person, if the owner of the motor vehicle or motor bicycle to whom such number was first assigned shall. not less than twenty (20) days prior to the day of expiration of said registration, file an application accompanied by the fees herein specified for the registration or re-registration of a motor vehicle or motor bicycle and request the assignment of said number to a motor vehicle. or motor bicycle owned by him. The Secretary of State, shall at the end of each calendar month, print and mail to the clerks and the sheriffs of all the counties and to the chiefs of police of cities and towns of five thousand population and over, in this State, copies of lists of registration made in accordance herewith showing the number of motor vehicles and the motor bicycles and the names and addresses of the owners thereof.

The Secretary of State, shall, upon payment of a fee of $25.00 enter the name of the person, firm or corporation sending the same, upon a list to receive copies of the lists of registration provided for in this section.

9. All vehicles of the second division as described in section 2 of this Act, which are designed or equipped or used for carrying freight, and all vehicles of said first division which have been remodeled and are being used for carrying freight, and all vehicles of said second division which are used for carrying more than seven persons shall pav

to the Secretary of State for each calendar year from and after January 1, 1920, license fees for the use of the public highways of this State at the following rates, to-wit:

(a) Vehicles having a gross weight of five thousand (5,000) pounds and less, including the weight of the vehicle and maximum load, $12.00.

(b) Vehicles having a gross weight of more than five thousand (5,000) pounds and not more than twelve thousand (12,000) pounds, including the weight of the vehicle and maximum load, $22.50.

(c) Vehicles having a gross weight of more than twelve thousand (12,000) pounds and not more than fifteen thousand (15,000) pounds, including the weight of the vehicle and maximum load, $35.00.

(d) Vehicles having a gross weight of more than fifteen thousand (15,000) pounds including the weight of the vehicle and maximum load, $60.00.

(e) Tractors, traction engines or other similar vehicles used for hauling purposes, except as hereinafter provided, shall pay a license fee of $25.00 per annum; provided, that none of the vehicles of said second division shall be required to pay the registration fees in section 8 of this Act.

§ 10. All license fees provided for in section 9 of this Act shall be paid to the Secretary of State in the same manner and at the same time, and in the same proportions, for fractions of a year, as provided for in section 8 of this Act: Provided, however, that such license fees shall be paid before the vehicles are used on the public highways of the State. All license fees provided for in section 9 shall be deposited in the State treasury and become and be a part of the road fund provided for in section 36 of this Act.

§ 11. Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any of the provisions of sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 23, 24 or 33, shall be subject to a penalty of not less than $10.00, nor more than $100.00, for each offense, together with costs of suit and shall also be held liable for the payment of all damages caused to any public highway by such violation. Any vehicle used in violation of any section of this Act and thereby causing damage to any public highway shall be subject to a lien for the full amount of all unpaid registration fees, license fees, penalties and damages; provided, however, that such lien shall not release the offender from the full payment of all registration fees, license fees, penalties and damages which may be due from him or be recovered against him in any court of competent jurisdiction and, provided, also, that such lien shall not be superior to any chattel mortgage or other lien attaching to such vehicle.

§ 12. Every transfer of any vehicle of said second division from one owner to another by sale, barter or otherwise, shall be reported to the Secretary of State and be regulated and controlled as near as may be by the provisions of section 19 of this Act.

§ 13. The Secretary of State is hereby authorized and empowered to institute, in the name of the People of the State of Illinois, a suit or suits in any court of competent jurisdiction to enforce the collection of

« ForrigeFortsett »