Pennsylvania Code › Title 67 - TRANSPORTATION › Part I - Department of Transportation › Subpart A - Vehicle Code Provisions › Article VII - Vehicle Characteristics › Chapter 175 - VEHICLE EQUIPMENT AND INSPECTION › Subchapter A - GENERAL PROVISIONS › Section 175.2 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
The following words and terms, when used in this
						  chapter, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates
						  otherwise:
ASME Code
-The American Society of
						  Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code; Section VIII, Division I,
						  and Section IX of the 1971 and later editions.
ASTM
-The American Society for Testing
						  and Materials.
Acute area of the windshield
-The
						  center of the critical area on the driver's side of the vehicle directly in the
						  driver's normal line of vision-8 1/2 inches wide and 5 1/2 inches high.
Allowable working pressure
-The pounds
						  per square inch for which the container was constructed or, if conditions have
						  changed, the maximum pressure at specified temperatures permitted at the most
						  recent inspection by a certified inspector.
Alteration
-A change in the
						  construction, design or installation of a container that affects the strength
						  or safety of the system.
Antique motor vehicle
-The term as
						  defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102
						  (relating to definitions).
Auxiliary driving lamp
-A lighting
						  device mounted to provide illumination in front of the vehicle and to
						  supplement the upper beam of a standard headlamp system; it is not intended for
						  use alone or with the lower beam of a standard headlamp system.
Back-up lamp
-A lamp used to provide
						  illumination behind the vehicle and to provide a warning signal when the
						  vehicle is in reverse gear.
Bead
-That part of the tire made of
						  steel wires wrapped or reinforced by ply cords, that is shaped to fit the
						  rim.
Belt
-A layer made of fabric or other
						  material located under the tread area.
Bureau
-The Bureau of Motor Vehicles of
						  the Department.
Bus
-A motor vehicle as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
CGA
-The Compressed Gas Association,
						  Inc.; 500 Fifth Avenue; New York, New York 10036.
Cargo lamp
-A lamp mounted on a
						  multipurpose passenger vehicle, truck or bus that provides illumination to load
						  or unload cargo.
Certified inspection mechanic
-A person
						  who holds a valid certification card issued by the Bureau certifying that the
						  person is qualified, has passed all requirements to inspect specific vehicles
						  and holds a valid driver's license for the correct class of vehicle.
Certified inspector
-A person who holds
						  a certificate issued by the Boiler Division in the Bureau of Occupation and
						  Industrial Safety within the Department of Labor and Industry certifying that
						  the person is qualified to inspect unfired pressure vessels.
Classic motor vehicle
-The term as
						  defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Clearance lamps
-Lamps which show to
						  the front or rear of a vehicle to indicate overall width and height of a
						  vehicle-on trucks and buses 80 inches or more in width.
Collectible motor vehicle
-The term as
						  defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Combination
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Commonwealth inspection station
-An
						  inspection station appointed to inspect all types of vehicles, space permitted,
						  owned by and engaged exclusively in the performance of the official duties of
						  the Federal government, the Commonwealth or a political subdivision of the
						  Commonwealth.
Cord
-The strands forming the plies in
						  the tire.
Critical area of the windshield
-The
						  part of the vehicle windshield cleaned by the sweep of the windshield wiper
						  system.
DOT
-The United States Department of
						  Transportation.
Department
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Designated area
-The geographic area
						  which the Department, in conjunction with the Department of Environmental
						  Protection, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, has
						  identified as an Emission I/M Program designated area. A copy of the
						  Department's designation is available upon request from the Department.
Driveaway-towaway operation
-The term
						  as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Emergency vehicle
-As defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Essential parts
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
FMVSS
-Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
						  Standards in 49 CFR Part 571 (relating to Federal motor vehicle safety
						  standards).
Farm vehicle
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Firefighting vehicle
-A vehicle used
						  exclusively for fighting fires. The term does not include passenger cars, buses
						  and motorcycles.
Fleet inspection station
-An inspection
						  station appointed to inspect all types of vehicles, space permitting, leased by
						  or owned and registered in the name of the person in whose name the certificate
						  of appointment is issued.
Fleet owner
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Fog lamps
-Lamps which are used with or
						  in lieu of the lower beam headlamps to provide illumination under conditions of
						  rain, snow or fog.
Foreign vehicle
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Fuel supply container
-A tank or
						  cylinder installed on a vehicle to supply fuel for the propulsion system of the
						  vehicle.
GCWR-Gross combination weight
						  rating
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
GVWR-Gross vehicle weight rating
-The
						  term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
General inspection station
-An
						  inspection station appointed to inspect all types of vehicles if the station is
						  so equipped.
Groove
-The space between two adjacent
						  tread ribs.
Gross weight
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Hazard warning system or emergency signal
						  system
-A driver-controlled system of flashing front and rear lights
						  used to warn approaching motorists when a car has broken down or is traveling
						  at a slow speed.
Heavy truck
-A truck having a
						  registered gross weight in excess of 17,000 pounds or a truck tractor.
House trailer
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
ICC
-The Interstate Commerce
						  Commission; now functionally superseded by DOT in matters relating to
						  safety.
Identification lamps
-Lamps used in
						  groups of three, in a horizontal row, which show to the front or rear, or both,
						  on vehicles 80 inches or more in width.
Implement of husbandry
-The term as
						  defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Indicator lights
-Lamps that are
						  visible to the operator of a vehicle that indicate operation of appropriate
						  electrical circuits, malfunction of vehicle performance and requirement for
						  remedial action by the operator of the vehicle.
Inspection area
-The area of a station
						  in which all inspections must be conducted.
Inspection/Maintenance (I/M) insert
						  tab
-A numbered tab, applied to the safety certificate of inspection,
						  which indicates the month in which the safety certificate of inspection expires
						  and that the vehicle is subject to the Emission Inspection Program.
Inspection/Maintenance (I/M) registration
						  indicator
-An indicator on the registration card which identifies the
						  vehicle as a subject vehicle which shall be emission inspected annually.
Inspection station supervisor
-A person
						  designated by the Department to investigate, inspect and supervise the
						  operation of inspection stations.
License plate lamp
-A lamp used to
						  illuminate the license plate on the rear of the vehicle.
Light truck
-A truck having a
						  registered gross weight of 11,000 pounds or less.
Manufacturer
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Mass transit vehicle
-The term as
						  defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Material which does not permit a person to see
						  or view the inside of the vehicle
-A material which reduces the
						  transmittance of light to below 70% or to a percentage which is less than the
						  percentage permitted by FMVSS No. 205 in effect at the time of the vehicle's
						  manufacture.
Medium truck
-A truck having a
						  registered gross weight from 11,001 to 17,000 pounds, inclusive.
Mobile home
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Modular housing undercarriage
-The term
						  as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Modular housing unit
-The term as
						  defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Motor carrier vehicle
-A truck,
						  truck-tractor or combination having a gross weight or registered gross weight
						  in excess of 17,000 pounds.
Motorcycle
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Motorcycle inspection station
-An
						  inspection station appointed to inspect only motorcycles.
Motor-driven cycle
-A motorcycle,
						  including a motor scooter, with a motor which produces not to exceed five-brake
						  horsepower, and every pedalcycle with a motor attached.
Motor home
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Motor vehicle
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Motorized pedalcycle
-The term as
						  defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Multi-purpose passenger vehicle
-A
						  passenger car which is constructed on a truck chassis or which has special
						  features for off-road use in addition to highway use.
NFPA
-The National Fire Protection
						  Association; 470 Atlantic Avenue; Boston, Massachusetts 02210.
NHTSA
-The National Highway Traffic
						  Safety Administration.
Ornamental lamps
-Lamps not required
						  and not located as described in Tables III, IV and V of this chapter, unless
						  available as original equipment. Flashing or revolving lights are not
						  ornamental lamps. Flashing or revolving lights and their use are addressed in
						  Chapters 15 and 173 (relating to authorized vehicles and special operating
						  privileges; and flashing or revolving lights on emergency and authorized
						  vehicles).
Parking brake system
-A brake system
						  used to hold and maintain a vehicle in a stationary position. A positive
						  mechanical means is employed to hold the brake applied when the vehicle is
						  unattended.
Parking lamps
-Steady-burning, low
						  intensity lights used when a vehicle is stopped or parked.
Passenger car
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Pedalcycle
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Person
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Ply
-A layer of rubber-coated parallel
						  cords.
Pole trailer
-A trailer, including
						  those with a variable wheelbase, attached to the towing vehicle by means of a
						  reach or pole, or by being boomed or otherwise secured to the towing vehicle,
						  and ordinarily used for transporting long or irregular-shaped loads, including
						  poles, pipes or structural members capable of sustaining themselves as beams
						  between the supporting connections.
Rake
-On motorcycles, the angle,
						  measured in degrees, of a motorcycle's steering axis in relation to a line
						  which is perpendicular to the vehicle wheel base; on passenger cars or trucks,
						  the ground clearance at the front or rear of a vehicle, reduced or increased,
						  giving tilted appearance.
Reconstructed vehicle
-The term as
						  defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Recreational trailer
-The term as
						  defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Recreational and utility trailer inspection
						  station
-An inspection station appointed to inspect only recreational
						  and utility trailers.
Reflex reflector
-A reflective device
						  used for reflecting light, usually built into a lens.
Registered gross weight
-The term as
						  defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Registration
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Renewed emissions certificate of
						  inspection
-An emissions certificate of inspection that remains valid
						  for more than 90 days.
Safety insert tab
-A numbered tab,
						  applied to the Safety Certificate of Inspection, which indicates the month in
						  which the safety certificate of inspection expires.
School bus
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Secretary
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Semitrailer
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Service brake system
-A brake system
						  used for retarding, stopping and controlling the vehicle under normal operating
						  conditions.
Side marker lamps
-Lamps located on the
						  left and right sides, beamed and intended to indicate vehicle length.
Snow plow lamp
-A lamp used in
						  substitution of headlamps on vehicles equipped with snow plows.
Special mobile equipment
-The term as
						  defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Specially constructed vehicle
-The term
						  as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Stop lamp
-A lamp at the rear of the
						  vehicle which indicates the brake is being applied by the operator to slow or
						  stop the vehicle.
Street rod
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Subject vehicle
-A gasoline powered
						  vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 9,000 pounds or less, moved upon
						  a highway and registered or titled in a designated area, as defined in Chapter
						  177 (relating to emission inspection program), except any of the
						  following:
(i) Special mobile
						equipment.
(ii) An implement of
						husbandry.
(iii) A motor vehicle
						being towed.
(iv) A motor vehicle
						being driven or towed by an official inspection station owner or employee for
						the purpose of inspection.
(v) A
						classic motor vehicle.
(vi) An
						antique motor vehicle.
(vii) A
						motorcycle.
(viii) A motorized
						pedalcycle.
(ix) A motor driven
						cycle.
(x) A street rod.
(xi) A vehicle being repossessed by a
						financer or collector/repossesser through the use of a miscellaneous motor
						vehicle business registration plate.
(xii) A new vehicle while it is in the
						process of manufacture, including testing and not in transit from the
						manufacturer to a purchaser or dealer.
(xiii) A military vehicle used for training
						by a private, nonprofit, tax exempt military educational institution when the
						vehicle does not travel on public roads in excess of 1 mile and when the
						property on both sides of the public road is owned by the
						institution.
(xiv) A school bus
						over 11,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating.
(xv) A bus, other than school bus, with a
						seating capacity of 27 or more.
Supply line
-The piping, tubing or
						  hose, including all related fittings, through which vapor or liquid passes
						  between the first shut-off valve at the container and the final stage regulator
						  or vaporizer.
Suspend
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Tail lamp
-A steady burning
						  low-intensity light used on the rear of a vehicle.
Taxi
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Temporary inspection approval
						  indicator
-An adhesive insert affixed to the current certificate of
						  safety inspection, as viewed from inside the vehicle, used to designate
						  vehicles which have successfully passed a required periodic safety inspection,
						  but do not display a renewed emission certificate of inspection.
Tire width
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Trail
-The distance measured in inches
						  between the point at which the steering axis of a motorcycle intersects with
						  the ground in front of the motorcycle and the point at which the forward limit
						  of the wheel base intersects with the surface below the motorcycle.
Trailer
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Trailer inspection station
-An
						  inspection station appointed to inspect only trailers.
Tread
-That portion of the tire that
						  comes into contact with the road.
Tread rib
-The tread section running
						  circumferentially around the tire.
Truck
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Truck-camper
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Truck tractor
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Turn signal
-A lamp showing to front
						  and rear for the purpose of indicating an intention to turn either to the right
						  or left or for pulling into traffic or changing lanes.
UL
-The Underwriter's Laboratories,
						  Inc.
Utility trailer
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
VIN
-
Vehicle identification
						  number
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Vehicle
-The term as defined in
						  75 Pa.C.S. §
													102.
Vehicle Inspection Division
-The area
						  of the Bureau which administers vehicle equipment and inspection
						  matters.
The provisions of this §
														175.2 amended under the Vehicle
							 Code,
							 75 Pa.C.S. §§
															4101,
							 4103,
							 4301,
							 4501,
							 4521,
							 4524,
							 4702,
							 4703,
							 4706(e), 4728 and
							 6103.
This section cited in 67 Pa. Code §
														177.51 (relating to program
							 requirements).