96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
SB2994

 

Introduced 2/3/2010, by Sen. John M. Sullivan

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
625 ILCS 5/12-503   from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-503

    Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that a person may not drive a motor vehicle with any objects placed or suspended between the driver and the front windshield, rear window, side wings, or side windows immediately adjacent to each side of the driver which obstructs (rather than materially obstructs) the driver's view. Provides that the window obstruction provision does not apply to authorized emergency vehicles. Provides that a person may not drive a motor vehicle when the windshield, side, or rear windows are in such defective condition or repair as to impair (rather than materially impair) the driver's view to the front, side, or rear. Provides that a vehicle equipped with a side mirror on each side of the vehicle will be deemed to be in compliance with the defective condition provision in the event the rear window of the vehicle is obscured (rather than materially obscured). Makes other technical changes.


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A BILL FOR

 

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1     AN ACT concerning transportation.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by changing
5 Section 12-503 as follows:
 
6     (625 ILCS 5/12-503)  (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-503)
7     Sec. 12-503. Windshields must be unobstructed and equipped
8 with wipers.
9     (a) No person shall drive a motor vehicle with any sign,
10 poster, window application, reflective material, nonreflective
11 material or tinted film upon the front windshield, except that
12 a nonreflective tinted film may be used along the uppermost
13 portion of the windshield if such material does not extend more
14 than 6 inches down from the top of the windshield.
15     (a-5) No window treatment or tinting shall be applied to
16 the windows immediately adjacent to each side of the driver,
17 except:
18         (1) on vehicles where none of the windows to the rear
19     of the driver's seat are treated in a manner that allows
20     less than 30% light transmittance, a nonreflective tinted
21     film that allows at least 50% light transmittance, with a
22     5% variance observed by any law enforcement official
23     metering the light transmittance, may be used on the side

 

 

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1     windows immediately adjacent to each side of the driver.
2         (2) on vehicles where none of the windows to the rear
3     of the driver's seat are treated in a manner that allows
4     less than 35% light transmittance, a nonreflective tinted
5     film that allows at least 35% light transmittance, with a
6     5% variance observed by any law enforcement official
7     metering the light transmittance, may be used on the side
8     windows immediately adjacent to each side of the driver.
9         (3) on multipurpose passenger vehicles, as defined by
10     Section 1-148.3b of this Code, a nonreflective tinted film
11     originally applied by the manufacturer, that allows at
12     least 50% light transmittance, with a 5% variance observed
13     by any law enforcement official metering the light
14     transmittance, may be used on the side windows immediately
15     adjacent to each side of the driver.
16     (a-10) (a-5) No person shall install or repair any material
17 prohibited by subsection (a) of this Section.
18         (1) Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit a person
19     from removing or altering any material prohibited by
20     subsection (a) to make a motor vehicle comply with the
21     requirements of this Section.
22         (2) Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit a person
23     from installing window treatment for a person with a
24     medical condition described in subsection (g) of this
25     Section. An installer who installs window treatment for a
26     person with a medical condition described in subsection (g)

 

 

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1     must obtain a copy of the certified statement or letter
2     written by a physician described in subsection (g) from the
3     person with the medical condition prior to installing the
4     window treatment. The copy of the certified statement or
5     letter must be kept in the installer's permanent records.
6     (b) On motor vehicles where window treatment has not been
7 applied to the windows immediately adjacent to each side of the
8 driver, the use of a nonreflective, smoked or tinted glass,
9 nonreflective film, perforated window screen or other
10 decorative window application on windows to the rear of the
11 driver's seat shall be allowed, except that any motor vehicle
12 with a window to the rear of the driver's seat treated in this
13 manner shall be equipped with a side mirror on each side of the
14 motor vehicle which are in conformance with Section 12-502.
15     (c) No person shall drive a motor vehicle with any objects
16 placed or suspended between the driver and the front
17 windshield, rear window, side wings or side windows immediately
18 adjacent to each side of the driver which materially obstructs
19 the driver's view. This subsection does not apply to authorized
20 emergency vehicles.
21     (d) Every motor vehicle, except motorcycles, shall be
22 equipped with a device, controlled by the driver, for cleaning
23 rain, snow, moisture or other obstructions from the windshield;
24 and no person shall drive a motor vehicle with snow, ice,
25 moisture or other material on any of the windows or mirrors,
26 which materially obstructs the driver's clear view of the

 

 

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1 highway.
2     (e) No person shall drive a motor vehicle when the
3 windshield, side or rear windows are in such defective
4 condition or repair as to materially impair the driver's view
5 to the front, side or rear. A vehicle equipped with a side
6 mirror on each side of the vehicle which are in conformance
7 with Section 12-502 will be deemed to be in compliance in the
8 event the rear window of the vehicle is materially obscured.
9     (f) Paragraphs (a), (a-5), and (b) of this Section shall
10 not apply to:
11         (1) (Blank).
12         (2) to those motor vehicles properly registered in
13     another jurisdiction.
14     (g) Paragraphs (a) and (a-5) of this Section shall not
15 apply to window treatment, including but not limited to a
16 window application, nonreflective material, or tinted film,
17 applied or affixed to a motor vehicle for which distinctive
18 license plates or license plate stickers have been issued
19 pursuant to subsection (k) of Section 3-412 of this Code, and
20 which:
21         (1) is owned and operated by a person afflicted with or
22     suffering from a medical disease, including but not limited
23     to systemic or discoid lupus erythematosus, disseminated
24     superficial actinic porokeratosis, or albinism, which
25     would require that person to be shielded from the direct
26     rays of the sun; or

 

 

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1         (2) is used in transporting a person when the person
2     resides at the same address as the registered owner of the
3     vehicle and the person is afflicted with or suffering from
4     a medical disease which would require the person to be
5     shielded from the direct rays of the sun, including but not
6     limited to systemic or discoid lupus erythematosus,
7     disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis, or
8     albinism.
9         The owner must obtain a certified statement or letter
10     written by a physician licensed to practice medicine in
11     Illinois that such person owning and operating or being
12     transported in a motor vehicle is afflicted with or suffers
13     from such disease, including but not limited to systemic or
14     discoid lupus erythematosus, disseminated superficial
15     actinic porokeratosis, or albinism. However, no exemption
16     from the requirements of subsection (a-5) shall be granted
17     for any condition, such as light sensitivity, for which
18     protection from the direct rays of the sun can be
19     adequately obtained by the use of sunglasses or other eye
20     protective devices.
21         Such certification must be carried in the motor vehicle
22     at all times. The certification shall be legible and shall
23     contain the date of issuance, the name, address and
24     signature of the attending physician, and the name,
25     address, and medical condition of the person requiring
26     exemption. The information on the certificate for a window

 

 

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1     treatment must remain current and shall be renewed annually
2     by the attending physician. The owner shall also submit a
3     copy of the certification to the Secretary of State. The
4     Secretary of State may forward notice of certification to
5     law enforcement agencies.
6     (g-5) (Blank).
7     (g-7) Installers shall only install window treatment
8 authorized by subsection (g) on motor vehicles for which
9 distinctive plates or license plate stickers have been issued
10 pursuant to subsection (k) of Section 3-412 of this Code. The
11 distinctive license plates or plate sticker must be on the
12 motor vehicle at the time of window treatment installation.
13     (h) Paragraph (a) of this Section shall not apply to motor
14 vehicle stickers or other certificates issued by State or local
15 authorities which are required to be displayed upon motor
16 vehicle windows to evidence compliance with requirements
17 concerning motor vehicles.
18     (i) (Blank).
19     (j) A person found guilty of violating paragraphs (a),
20 (a-5), (a-10), (b), or (g-7) of this Section shall be guilty of
21 a petty offense and fined no less than $50 nor more than $500.
22 A second or subsequent violation of paragraphs (a), (a-5),
23 (a-10), (b), or (g-7) of this Section shall be treated as a
24 Class C misdemeanor and the violator fined no less than $100
25 nor more than $500. Any person convicted under paragraphs (a),
26 (a-5), or (b) of this Section shall be ordered to alter any

 

 

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1 nonconforming windows into compliance with this Section.
2     (k) Nothing in this Section shall create a cause of action
3 on behalf of a buyer against a vehicle dealer or manufacturer
4 who sells a motor vehicle with a window which is in violation
5 of this Section.
6     (l) (k) The Secretary of State shall provide a notice of
7 the requirements of this Section to a new resident applying for
8 vehicle registration in this State pursuant to Section 3-801 of
9 this Code. The Secretary of State may comply with this
10 subsection by posting the requirements of this Section on the
11 Secretary of State's website.
12 (Source: P.A. 95-202, eff. 8-16-07; 96-530, eff. 1-1-10;
13 96-815, eff. 10-30-09; revised 11-9-09.)