WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

HB 5230

AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- OPTIONAL RETIREMENT FOR MEMBERS OF POLICE FORCE AND FIREFIGHTERS

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Justine Caldwell and 9 co-sponsors

The bill requires animal-drawn vehicles to have multiple front and rear white/red lamps and amber flashing lights, with specific mounting and visibility rules, and fines up to $200

03/27/2025 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 5230

Summary — HB 5230 (1949 PA 300 amendments) — Animal-drawn vehicle lighting requirements

Status & procedural timeline
- Bill number: HB 5230 — amends the Michigan Vehicle Code (1949 PA 300) by amending sections 684, 695, and 907 and adding sections 1e and 688a.
- Filed/introduced in 2025 (filed 3/14/2025; electronically reproduced and introduced 11/06/2025 by Rep. Mike Hoadley). Referred to committee (Transportation and Infrastructure). No effective date is specified in the text provided.

Purpose / intent
- To establish explicit equipment and lighting requirements for animal-drawn vehicles (e.g., horse-drawn buggies, carriages) operating on public roadways to improve visibility and safety, and to provide a civil penalty for noncompliance.

Key provisions and changes
- New definition (Sec. 1e):
- “Animal-drawn vehicle” means any coach, carriage, or buggy drawn by an animal and on which an individual is or may be transported on a highway or street.

  • New section 688a — specific lighting/equipment requirements for animal-drawn vehicles:

    • Required lights (in addition to existing requirements under section 688):
    • At least 2 front lighted lamps/devices emitting white light visible within 500 feet.
    • At least 2 rear lighted lamps/devices emitting red light visible within 500 feet.
    • At least 2 amber flashing warning lamps/devices on the front and at least 2 on the rear (amber flashing visible within 500 feet).
    • Mounting: lights must be mounted no less than 2.5 feet and no more than 12 feet above ground, symmetrically and as widely spaced as practical around the centerline.
    • Times/conditions when lights must be illuminated (in addition to standard night/insufficient light rules in Sec. 684):
    • Low visibility due to weather (rain, snow, sleet, hail, fog).
    • Visibility less than 1,000 feet to the front or rear.
    • Insufficient light, heavy traffic, or posted work zones.
    • Penalty: failure to use required lights is a state civil infraction; civil fine up to $200.00.
    • Exception: does not apply to animal-drawn vehicles on highways/streets located on state park lands where motor vehicles are not permitted.

  • Amendments to existing sections:

    • Sec. 684: Clarifies when vehicle lamps/illuminated devices must be displayed (night and when objects not discernible at 500 feet) and refines language about visibility and mounting height bases.
    • Sec. 695: Explicitly includes animal-drawn vehicles among vehicles that must comply with lighting rules at times specified in Sec. 684; retains rules for implements of husbandry and differentiates equipment standards by manufacture date (pre-2007 vs. on/after 1/1/2007).
    • Sec. 907: bill also amends the civil-infraction/fine framework in the Vehicle Code (existing fine schedules remain in the text excerpt; HB 5230 adds the specific $200 fine for animal-drawn vehicle lighting violations via Sec. 688a(4)).

Who is affected / likely impacts
- Directly affected: operators/owners of animal-drawn vehicles (including recreational, cultural, agricultural, and religious communities that use horse-drawn buggies).
- Indirectly affected: law enforcement (enforcement of lighting/visibility rules), rural and mixed-use roadway users, and local governments/road authorities (safety planning).
- Potential impacts:
- Safety improvement: better visibility of slow-moving animal-drawn vehicles in low light and adverse weather.
- Compliance costs: owners may need to purchase and mount multiple lamps/flashers meeting the specified visibility and height requirements.
- Enforcement: civil fines (up to $200) for noncompliance could increase citations for non-equipped vehicles.

Notes / open items
- The bill text does not specify an effective date or transition period for compliance.
- Implementation details (approved lamp types, electrical power sources, standards) are not specified in the text and may be clarified in rulemaking or later amendments.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.