Hon. Homer Garrison, Jr., Director Department of Publi,c Safety Austin, Texas Opinion No. V-1337 Re: Interpretation ofthe statute requiring motor vehicles to be equipped with turn indiDear Sir: eating lamps or devices.

Your request for an opinion quotes Section 69 ofArticle 6701d, V.C.S., dealing with directional signals on vehicles, as amended by Senate Bill 183, Acts 52nd Leg., R.S. 1951, ch. 149, p.253, as follows:

“Section 69. Signals by hand and arm or signal d,evice. Any stop or turn signal when required herein shall be given either by means ofthe hand and arm or by a signal lamp or lamps or mechanical signal device of a type approved by the d,epartment. However, when the body of a vehicle or the body and load of any vehicle or in a combination of vehicles projects twenty four (24”) inches or more to the left ofthe center ofthe steering wheel, or under ‘any condition when ahand and arm signal would not be visible both to the front and,rear of such vehicle or vehicles, then such vehicle or vehicles must be equipped with, and said signals must be given by such turn indicating lamps or devices.” Your question is:

‘If the flat truck bed of atruck projects twentyfour inches or more to the left ofthe center ofthe steering wheel of avehicle, but not at a height level with the steering wheel, and not at aheight sufficient to obscure hand signals, would the truck be required to have d,irectional signal lamps or mechanical signal devices ?‘”Hon. Homer Garrison, Jr.,~~%gp.‘Z (V-1337)

The purpose of Senate Bill 183 is to require vehicles or any combination ofvehic~les to give distinct and visible stop and turn signals under all circumstances. Thes~e signals are to be given byhand or by turn indicating lamps or devices, and under certain circumstances must be given by lamps or mechanical devices. First, the Legislature took into consideration specific physical characteri,stics ofthe vehicle inthe following language from Section 69: *

. . .when the body of avehicle or the body and load of any vehicle or in a c~ombination of vehicles projects twenty four (24”) inches or more to the left ofthe center ofthe steering wheel
. . . such vehicle or vehicles must be equipped with
. . .turn indicating lamps or devices.” (Empha,sis added.) Serond, the Legis,lature took into consideration all other conditions that might obscure the visibility of hand signals inthe following language from Section 69: *

. . . or under any condition when ahand andarn.signal would not be visible to the front and rear of such vehicle
. . . .” Inthe light ofthe purpose ofSenate Bill 183, and inview ofthe express wording ofthe Act, it is our opinion that vehicles are not required tobe equipped with turn indicating lamps or devices unless the body or load projects twenty-four (24”) inches to the left ofthe,center ofthe steering wheel inthe same horizontal plane, or unless a hand or arm signal would not be visible both to the front and rear ofthe vehicle. Since the body ofthe vehicle in question does’not extend twenty-four inchesto the left ofthe center ofthe.steering wheel in the same horizontal plane, turn indicating lamps or devices are not required for such vehicle unless the load thereon extends twenty-four inches or more to the left of the center ofthe steering wheel inthe same horizontal plane, or unless some other condition obscures hand and arm signals in such away that they would not be visible both to the front and rear ofthe vehicle.. . . Hon. Homer Garrison, Jr~.,Page 3 (V-1337)

The horizontal plane referred, to above as extending through the center ofthe steering wheel extends, of course, over the entire length and bread,th ofthe vehicle. Thus if any part of the body or load of the vehicle projects twenty-four inches or more to the left of a horizontal line through the center ofthe steering wheel extending from the front to the rear ofthe vehicle in the same horizontal plane as t~hecenter ofthe steering wheel, the vehicle is required, to be equipped with turn indicating lamps or devices.

SUMMARY

Vehicles are required by Section 69 ofArticle 6701d, V.C.S., as amended by Senate Bill 183, Acts 52nd Leg., R.S. 1951~, ch. 149, p. 253, tobe equipped with turn indicating lamps or devices if the body or load projects twenty-four inches or more to the left ofthe center of the steering wheel inthe same horizontal plane or if a hand,and arm signal would not be visible both to the front and rear ofthe vehicle.

APPROVED: Everett Hutchinson Executive Assistant Charles D. Mathews First Assistant JPL:mf Yours very truly, PRICE DANIEL Attorney General