337.01 Driving unsafe vehicles.
337.02 Lighted lights; measurement of distances and heights.
337.03 Headlights on motor vehicles and motorcycles.
337.04 Tail light; illumination of rear license plate.
337.05 Rear red reflectors.
337.06 Safety lighting on commercial vehicles.
337.07 Obscured lights on vehicles in combination.
337.08 Red light or red flag on extended loads.
337.09 Lights on parked or stopped vehicles.
337.10 Lights on slow-moving vehicles; emblem required.
337.11 Spotlight and auxiliary lights.
337.12 Cowl, fender and back-up lights.
337.13 Display of lighted lights.
337.14 Use of headlight beams.
337.15 Lights of less intensity on slow-moving vehicles.
337.16 Number of lights; limitations on flashing, oscillating or rotating lights.
337.17 Focus and aim of headlights.
337.18 Motor vehicle and motorcycle brakes.
337.19 Horn, siren and theft alarm signal.
337.20 Muffler; muffler cutout; excessive smoke, gas or noise.
337.21 Rear-view mirror; clear view to front, both sides and rear.
337.22 Windshield and windshield wiper; sign or poster thereon.
337.23 Limited load extension on left side of passenger vehicle.
337.24 Motor vehicle stop lights.
337.25 Air cleaner required.
337.26 Child restraint system usage.
337.27 Drivers and passengers required to wear seat belts.
337.28 Use of sunscreening, nontransparent and reflectorized materials.
337.29 Bumper heights.
337.30 Directional signals required.
CROSS REFERENCES
See sectional histories for similar State law
Warning devices for commercial vehicles disabled upon freeways - see Ohio R.C. 4513.28
Slow moving vehicle emblem - see OAC Ch. 4501.13
Motorized bicycle lights and equipment - see Ohio R.C. 4511.521
Vehicle lighting - see OAC 4501-15
Use of stop and turn signals - see TRAF. 331.14
Wheel protectors for commercial vehicles - see TRAF. 339.05
Vehicles transporting explosives - see TRAF. 339.06
Towing requirements - see TRAF. 339.07
Use of studded tires and chains - see TRAF. 339.11
Bicycle equipment - see TRAF. 373.05 et seq.
(a) No person shall drive or move, or cause or knowingly permit to be driven or moved, on any street any vehicle or combination of vehicles which is in such unsafe condition as to endanger any person or property.
(b) Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit the use of additional parts and accessories on any vehicle not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter.
(c) The provisions of this chapter with respect to equipment on vehicles do not apply to implements of husbandry, road machinery, road rollers or agricultural tractors except as made applicable to such articles of machinery. (ORC 4513.02)
(d) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(ORC 4513.99)
(a) Every vehicle, other than a motorized bicycle, operated upon a street or highway shall display lighted lights and illuminating devices as required by this chapter during all of the following times:
(1) The time from sunset to sunrise;
(2) At any other time when, due to insufficient natural light or unfavorable atmospheric conditions, persons, vehicles, and substantial objects on the street or highway are not discernible at a distance of one thousand feet ahead;
(3) At any time when the windshield wipers of the vehicle are in use because of precipitation on the windshield.
Every motorized bicycle shall display at such times lighted lights meeting the rules adopted by the Ohio Director of Public Safety under Ohio R.C. 4511.521. No motor vehicle, during any time specified in this section, shall be operated upon a street or highway using only parking lights as illumination.
(b) Whenever in this chapter a requirement is declared as to the distance from which certain lights and devices shall render objects visible, or within which such lights or devices shall be visible, such distance shall be measured upon a straight level unlighted street under normal atmospheric conditions unless a different condition is expressly stated.
(c) Whenever in this chapter a requirement is declared as to the mounted height of lights or devices, it shall mean from the center of such light or device to the level ground upon which the vehicle stands.
(d) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, no law enforcement officer shall cause the operator of a vehicle being operated upon a street or highway to stop the vehicle solely because the officer observes that a violation of subsection (a)(3) of this section has been or is being committed or for the sole purpose of issuing a ticket, citation or summons for a violation of that subsection, or causing the arrest of or commencing a prosecution of a person for a violation of that subsection.
(e) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(ORC 4513.03)
(a) Every motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle, shall be equipped with at least two headlights with at least one near each side of the front of the motor vehicle.
(b) Every motorcycle shall be equipped with at least one and not more than two headlights.
(c) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(ORC 4513.04)
(a) Every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, pole trailer or vehicle which is being drawn at the end of a train of vehicles shall be equipped with at least one tail light mounted on the rear which, when lighted, shall emit a red light visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear, provided that in the case of a train of vehicles only the tail light on the rear-most vehicle need be visible from the distance specified.
(b) Either a tail light or a separate light shall be so constructed and placed as to illuminate with a white light the rear registration plate, when such registration plate is required, and render it legible from a distance of fifty feet to the rear. Any tail light, together with any separate light for illuminating the rear registration plate, shall be so wired as to be lighted whenever the headlights or auxiliary driving lights are lighted, except where separate lighting systems are provided for trailers for the purpose of illuminating such registration plate.
(c) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(ORC 4513.05)
(a) Every new motor vehicle sold after September 6, 1941, and operated on a street, other than vehicles of the type mentioned in Section 337.06 or a commercial tractor to which a trailer or semitrailer is attached, shall carry at the rear, either as a part of the tail lights or separately, two red reflectors of such size and characteristics and so maintained as to be visible at night from all distances within 300 feet to fifty feet from such vehicle.
(b) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(ORC 4513.06)
(a) Buses, trucks, commercial tractors, trailers, semitrailers and pole trailers, when operated upon any street, shall be equipped with clearance lights, marker lights, reflectors and stop lights as required by State regulations. Such equipment shall be lighted at all times mentioned in Section 337.02 except that clearance lights and side marker lights need not be lighted on a vehicle operated where there is sufficient light to reveal any person or substantial object on the street at a distance of 500 feet.
(b) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(ORC 4513.07)
(a) Whenever motor and other vehicles are operated in combination during the time that lights are required, any light, except tail lights, which by reason of its location on a vehicle of the combination would be obscured by another vehicle of the combination need not be lighted, but this section does not affect the requirement that lighted clearance lights be displayed on the front of the foremost vehicle required to have clearance lights or that all lights required on the rear of the rearmost vehicle of any combination shall be lighted.
(b) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor on a first offense; on a second offense within one year after the first offense, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree; on each subsequent offense within one year after the first offense, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree.
(ORC 4513.08)
(a) Whenever the load upon any vehicle extends to the rear four feet or more beyond the bed or body of such vehicle, there shall be displayed at the extreme rear end of the load, at the times specified in Section 337.02, a red light or lantern plainly visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the side and rear. The red light or lantern required by this section is in addition to the red rear light required upon every vehicle. At any other time there shall be displayed at the extreme rear end of such load a red flag or cloth not less than sixteen inches square.
(b) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(ORC 4513.09)
(a) Except in case of an emergency, whenever a vehicle is parked or stopped upon a roadway open to traffic or shoulder adjacent thereto, whether attended or unattended during the times mentioned in Section 337.02, such vehicle shall be equipped with one or more lights which shall exhibit a white or amber light on the roadway side visible from a distance of 500 feet to the front of such vehicle, and a red light visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear. No lights need be displayed upon any such vehicle when it is stopped or parked where there is sufficient light to reveal any person or substantial object within a distance of 500 feet upon such street. Any lighted headlights upon a parked vehicle shall be depressed or dimmed.
(ORC 4513.10)
(b) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(ORC 4513.99)
(a) All vehicles other than bicycles, including animal-drawn vehicles and vehicles referred to in Section 337.01
(c), not specifically required to be equipped with lights or other lighting devices by Section 337.02
to 337.09
, shall at all times specified in Section 337.02
, be equipped with at least one light displaying a white light visible from a distance of not less than 1,000 feet to the front of the vehicle, and also shall be equipped with two lights displaying red light visible from a distance of not less than 1,000 feet to the rear of the vehicle, or as an alternative, one light displaying a red light visible from a distance of not less than 1,000 feet to the rear and two red reflectors visible from all distances of 600 feet to 100 feet to the rear when illuminated by the lawful lower beams of headlights.
Lights and reflectors required or authorized by this section shall meet standards adopted by the Ohio Director of Public Safety.
(b) All boat trailers, farm machinery and other machinery, including all road construction machinery, upon a street or highway, except when being used in actual construction and maintenance work in an area guarded by a flagperson, or where flares are used, or when operating or traveling within the limits of a construction area designated by the Ohio Director of Transportation, or the Municipal or County Engineer, when such construction area is marked in accordance with requirements of the Director and the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, as set forth in Ohio R.C. 4511.09, which is designed for operation at a speed of twenty-five miles per hour or less shall be operated at a speed not exceeding twenty-five miles per hour, and shall display a triangular slow-moving vehicle emblem (SMV). The emblem shall be mounted so as to be visible from a distance of not less than 500 feet to the rear. The Ohio Director of Public Safety shall adopt standards and specifications for the design and position of mounting the SMV emblem. The standards and specifications for SMV emblems referred to in this section shall correlate with and, so far as possible, conform with those approved by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers.
A unit of farm machinery that is designed by its manufacturer to operate at a speed greater than twenty-five miles per hour may be operated on a street or highway at a speed greater than twenty-five miles per hour provided it is operated in accordance with this section.
As used in this subsection (b), "machinery" does not include any vehicle designed to be drawn by an animal.
(c) The use of the SMV emblem shall be restricted to animal-drawn vehicles, and to the slow-moving vehicles specified in subsection (b) hereof operating or traveling within the limits of the highway. Its use on slow-moving vehicles being transported upon other types of vehicles or on any other type of vehicle or stationary object on the highway is prohibited.
(d) (1) No person shall sell, lease, rent or operate any boat trailer, farm machinery or other machinery defined as a slow-moving vehicle in subsection (b) hereof, except those units designed to be completely mounted on a primary power unit, which is manufactured or assembled on or after April 1, 1966, unless the vehicle is equipped with a slow-moving vehicle emblem mounting device as specified in subsection (b) hereof.
(2) No person shall sell, lease, rent, or operate on a street or highway any unit of farm machinery that is designed by its manufacturer to operate at a speed greater than twenty-five miles per hour unless the unit displays a slow- moving vehicle emblem as specified in subsection (b) of this section and a speed identification symbol that meets the specifications contained in the American Society of Agricultural Engineers Standard ANSI/ASAE S584 JAN2005, agricultural equipment; speed identification symbol (SIS).
(e) Any boat trailer, farm machinery, or other machinery defined as a slow-moving vehicle in subsection (b) of this section, in addition to the use of the slow-moving vehicle emblem, and any unit of farm machinery that is designed by its manufacturer to operate at a speed greater than twenty-five miles per hour, in addition to the display of a speed identification symbol may be equipped with a red flashing light that shall be visible from a distance of not less than one thousand feet to the rear at all times specified in Section 337.02
. When a double-faced light is used, it shall display amber light to the front and red light to the rear.
In addition to the lights described in this subsection, farm machinery and motor vehicles escorting farm machinery may display a flashing, oscillating or rotating amber light, as permitted by Section 337.16
, and also may display simultaneously flashing turn signals or warning lights, as permitted by that section.
(f) Every animal-drawn vehicle upon a street or highway shall at all times be equipped in one of the following ways:
(1) With a slow-moving vehicle emblem complying with subsection (b) hereof;
(2) With alternate reflective material complying with rules adopted under this subsection (f);
(3) With both a slow-moving vehicle emblem and alternate reflective material as specified in this subsection (f).
The Ohio Director of Public Safety, subject to Ohio R.C. Chapter 119, shall adopt rules establishing standards and specifications for the position of mounting of the alternate reflective material authorized by this subsection (f). The rules shall permit, as a minimum, the alternate reflective material to be black, gray or silver in color. The alternate reflective material shall be mounted on the animal-drawn vehicle so as to be visible at all times specified in Section 337.02
, from a distance of not less than 500 feet to the rear when illuminated by the lawful lower beams of headlamps.
(g) Every unit of farm machinery that is designed by its manufacturer to operate at a speed greater than twenty-five miles per hour shall display a slow-moving vehicle emblem and a speed identification symbol that meets the specifications contained in the American Society of Agricultural Engineers Standard ANSI/ASAE S584 JAN2005, agricultural equipment; speed identification symbol (SIS) when the unit is operated upon a street or highway, irrespective of the speed at which the unit is operated on the street or highway. The speed identification symbol shall indicate the maximum speed in miles per hour at which the unit of farm machinery is designed by its manufacturer to operate. The display of the speed identification symbol shall be in accordance with the standard prescribed in this subsection.
If an agricultural tractor that is designed by its manufacturer to operate at a speed greater than twenty-five miles per hour is being operated on a street or highway at a speed greater than twenty-five miles per hour and is towing, pulling or otherwise drawing a unit of farm machinery, the unit of farm machinery shall display a slow-moving vehicle emblem and a speed identification symbol that is the same as the speed identification symbol that is displayed on the agricultural tractor.
(h) When an agricultural tractor that is designed by its manufacturer to operate at a speed greater than twenty-five miles per hour is being operated on a street or highway at a speed greater than twenty-five miles per hour, the operator shall possess some documentation published or provided by the manufacturer indicating the maximum speed in miles per hour at which the manufacturer designed the agricultural tractor to operate.
(i) As used in this section, "boat trailer" means any vehicle designed and used exclusively to transport a boat between a place of storage and a marina, or in and around a marina, when drawn or towed on a street or highway for a distance of no more than ten miles and at a speed of twenty-five miles per hour or less.
(j) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(ORC 4513.11)
(a) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than one spotlight and every lighted spotlight shall be so aimed and used upon approaching another vehicle that no part of the high-intensity portion of the beam will be directed to the left of the prolongation of the extreme left side of the vehicle, nor more than 100 feet ahead of the vehicle.
(b) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than three State approved auxiliary driving lights mounted on the front of the vehicle, which when used shall conform to State regulations.
(c) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(ORC 4513.12)
(a) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with side cowl or fender lights or lights on each side thereof which shall emit a white or amber light without glare.
(b) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with back-up lights, either separately or in combination with another light. No back-up lights shall be continuously lighted when the motor vehicle is in forward motion.
(c) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(ORC 4513.13)
(a) At all times mentioned in Section 337.02 at least two State approved lighted lights shall be displayed conforming to State regulations, one near each side of the front of every motor vehicle, except when such vehicle is parked subject to the regulations governing lights on parked vehicles.
(ORC 4513.14)
(ORC 4513.14)
(b) However, on a motorcycle, there shall be displayed at least one and not more than two lighted lights as required herein.
(c) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(ORC 4513.14)
(a) Whenever a motor vehicle is being operated on a roadway or shoulder adjacent thereto during the times specified in Section 337.02, the driver shall use a distribution of light, or composite beam, directed high enough and of sufficient intensity to reveal persons, vehicles and substantial objects at a safe distance in advance of the vehicle, except that upon approaching an oncoming vehicle, the lights or beams shall be so aimed that the glaring rays are not projected into the eyes of the oncoming driver.
(b) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(ORC 4513.15)
(a) Any motor vehicle may be operated under the conditions specified in Section 337.02 when it is equipped with two lighted lights upon the front thereof capable of revealing persons and substantial objects seventy-five feet ahead in lieu of lights required in Section 337.13, provided that such vehicle shall not be operated at a speed in excess of twenty miles per hour.
(b) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(ORC 4513.16)
(a) Whenever a motor vehicle equipped with headlights also is equipped with any auxiliary lights or spotlight or any other light on the front thereof projecting a beam of an intensity greater than 300 candle power, not more than a total of five of any such lights on the front of a vehicle shall be lighted at any one time when the vehicle is upon a highway.
(b) Any lighted light or illuminating device upon a motor vehicle, other than headlights, spotlights, signal lights or auxiliary driving lights, that projects a beam of light of an intensity greater than 300 candle power, shall be so directed that no part of the beam will strike the level of the roadway on which the vehicle stands at a distance of more than seventy-five feet from the vehicle.
(c) (1) Flashing lights are prohibited on motor vehicles, except as a means for indicating a right or a left turn, or in the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring unusual care in approaching, or overtaking or passing. This prohibition does not apply to emergency vehicles, road service vehicles servicing or towing a disabled vehicle, rural mail delivery vehicles, vehicles transporting preschool children as provided in Ohio R.C. 4513.182, highway maintenance vehicles, funeral hearses, funeral escort vehicles and similar equipment operated by the Department or local authorities, which shall be equipped with and display, when used on a street or highway for the special purpose necessitating such lights, a flashing, oscillating or rotating amber light, but shall not display a flashing, oscillating or rotating light of any other color, nor to vehicles or machinery permitted by Section 337.10 to have a flashing red light.
(2) When used on a street or highway, farm machinery and vehicles escorting farm machinery may be equipped with and display a flashing, oscillating, or rotating amber light, and the prohibition contained in subsection (c)(1) hereof does not apply to such machinery or vehicles. Farm machinery also may display the lights described in Section 337.10.
(d) Except a person operating a public safety vehicle, as defined in Section 301.27, or a school bus, no person shall operate, move or park upon or permit to stand within the right of way of any public street or highway any vehicle or equipment that is equipped with and displaying a flashing red or a flashing combination red and white light, or an oscillating or rotating red light, or a combination red and white oscillating or rotating light; and except a public law enforcement officer, or other person sworn to enforce the criminal and traffic laws of the State or Municipality, operating a public safety vehicle when on duty, no person shall operate, move or park upon, or permit to stand within the right of way of any street or highway any vehicle or equipment that is equipped with, or upon which is mounted, and displaying a flashing blue or a flashing combination blue and white light, or an oscillating or rotating blue light, or a combination blue and white oscillating or rotating light.
(e) This section does not prohibit the use of warning lights required by law or the simultaneous flashing of turn signals on disabled vehicles or on vehicles being operated in unfavorable atmospheric conditions in order to enhance their visibility. This section also does not prohibit the simultaneous flashing of turn signals or warning lights either on farm machinery or vehicles escorting farm machinery, when used on a street or highway.
(f) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(ORC 4513.17)
(b) The headlights on any motor vehicle shall comply with the headlamp color requirements contained in federal motor vehicle safety standard number 108, 49 C.F.R. 571.108. No person shall operate a motor vehicle in violation of this subsection.
(c) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(ORC 4513.19)
(a) The following requirements govern as to brake equipment on vehicles:
(1) Every motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle, when operated upon a street or highway, shall be equipped with brakes adequate to control the movement of and to stop and hold such motor vehicle, including two separate means of applying the brakes, each of which means shall be effective to apply the brakes to at least two wheels. If these two separate means of applying the brakes are connected in any way, then on such motor vehicles manufactured or assembled after January 1, 1942, they shall be so constructed that failure of any one part of the operating mechanism shall not leave the motor vehicle without brakes on at least two wheels.
(2) Every motorcycle, when operated upon a street or highway, shall be equipped with at least one adequate brake, which may be operated by hand or by foot.
(3) Every motorized bicycle shall be equipped with brakes meeting the rules adopted by the Ohio Director of Public Safety under Ohio R.C. 4511.521.
(4) When operated upon the streets or highways of this Municipality, the following vehicles shall be equipped with brakes adequate to control the movement of and to stop and to hold the vehicle designed to be applied by the driver of the towing motor vehicle from its cab, and also designed and connected so that, in case of a breakaway of the towed vehicle, the brakes shall be automatically applied:
A. Except as otherwise provided in this section, every trailer or semitrailer, except a pole trailer, with an empty weight of two thousand pounds or more, manufactured or assembled on or after January 1, 1942;
B. Every manufactured home or travel trailer with an empty weight of two thousand pounds or more, manufactured or assembled on or after January 1, 2001.
(5) Every watercraft trailer with a gross weight or manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating of three thousand pounds or more that is manufactured or assembled on or after January 1, 2008, shall have separate brakes equipped with hydraulic surge or electrically operated brakes on two wheels.
(6) In any combination of motor-drawn trailers or semitrailers equipped with brakes, means shall be provided for applying the rearmost brakes in approximate synchronism with the brakes on the towing vehicle, and developing the required braking effort on the rearmost wheels at the fastest rate; or means shall be provided for applying braking effort first on the rearmost brakes; or both of the above means, capable of being used alternatively, may be employed.
(7) Every vehicle and combination of vehicles, except motorcycles and motorized bicycles, and except trailers and semitrailers of a gross weight of less than 2,000 pounds, and pole trailers, shall be equipped with parking brakes adequate to hold the vehicle on any grade on which it is operated, under all conditions of loading, on a surface free from snow, ice or loose material. The parking brakes shall be capable of being applied in conformance with the foregoing requirements by the driver's muscular effort or by spring action or by equivalent means. Their operation may be assisted by the service brakes or other sources of power provided that failure of the service brake actuation system or other power assisting mechanism will not prevent the parking brakes from being applied in conformance with the foregoing requirements. The parking brakes shall be so designed that when once applied they shall remain applied with the required effectiveness despite exhaustion of any source of energy or leakage of any kind.
(8) The same brake drums, brake shoes and lining assemblies, brake shoe anchors, and mechanical brake shoe actuation mechanism normally associated with the wheel brake assemblies may be used for both the service brakes and the parking brakes. If the means of applying the parking brakes and the service brakes are connected in any way, they shall be so constructed that failure of any one part shall not leave the vehicle without operative brakes.
(9) Every motor vehicle or combination of motor-drawn vehicles shall be capable at all times and under all conditions of loading of being stopped on a dry, smooth, level road free from loose material, upon application of the service or foot brake, within the following specified distances, or shall be capable of being decelerated at a sustained rate corresponding to these distances:
From a speed of 20 miles per hour | ||
Stopping distance in feet | Deceleration in feet per second
per second | |
Brakes on all wheels | 30 | 14 |
Brakes not on all four wheels | 40 | 10.7 |
(10) All brakes shall be maintained in good working order and shall be so adjusted as to operate as equally as practicable with respect to the wheels on opposite sides of the vehicle. (ORC 4513.20)
(b) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(ORC 4513.99)
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