S. B. No. 2737: Motor vehicle lighting; allow white lights that illuminate the rear of the vehicle under certain circumstances.

SECTION 1. Section 63-7-23, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

63-7-23. (1) The color of lighting devices shall be as follows:

(a) All front clearance lamps, and all side marker lamps, except the one on each side at or near the rear of any bus, truck, truck tractor, semitrailer, full trailer or pole trailer, shall when lighted display an amber color.

(b) No red lighting device of any character shall be mounted at any place other than on or near the rear of any bus, truck, truck tractor, semitrailer, full trailer or pole trailer. However, school buses owned by or under contract with a school district of this state may have affixed at or near the front end thereof red lighting devices that may be caused to blink when the school bus is stopped or in the process of stopping for the purpose of loading or unloading school children. A school bus also may be equipped with a white, flashing strobe light on the roof of the vehicle installed according to standards promulgated by the Mississippi Department of Education as authorized under Section 37-41-1(c).

(c) All rear clearance lamps, the side marker lamps on each side at or near the rear, and any other lamps mounted on the rear, on any bus, truck, truck tractor, semitrailer, full trailer or pole trailer shall when lighted display a red color. However, the stoplight or other warning device on the rear of any motor vehicle may be red or amber.

(d) Backing lights of any color may be mounted on the rear of any motor vehicle if the switch controlling such lights be so arranged that they may be turned on only when the vehicle is in reverse gear. Such backing lights when unlighted shall be so colored or otherwise arranged as not to reflect objectionable glare in the eyes of drivers of vehicles approaching from the rear.

(2) Auxiliary white lights mounted on or near the rear of a motor vehicle, or visible from the rear of the vehicle, shall not be prohibited under the provisions of this section if (a) the vehicle's gross weight is less than twelve thousand one (12,001) pounds, and (b) the lights are designed by the motor vehicle manufacturer or an after-market parts manufacturer so that they may only be illuminated whenever the vehicle is not in motion and the transmission of the vehicle is not capable of transmitting power to the wheels.

(3) No provision of this section shall be so construed as to prohibit the use of any white light or lights for the purpose of illuminating license plates.

(4) Any lamps illuminated when the vehicle is in motion, other than those expressly required or permitted by the provisions of this chapter, shall, if visible from the front, display a white or amber light; if visible from either side, display an amber light; and if visible from the rear, display a red light.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2001.

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 63-7-23, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE THE USE OF AUXILIARY WHITE LIGHTS MOUNTED ON OR VISIBLE FROM THE REAR OF A MOTOR VEHICLE WITH A GROSS WEIGHT NOT TO EXCEED 12,001 POUNDS IF THE LIGHTS ARE DESIGNED BY THE MOTOR VEHICLE MANUFACTURER OR AN AFTER-MARKET PARTS MANUFACTURER SO THAT THEY MAY ONLY BE ILLUMINATED WHENEVER THE TRANSMISSION OF THE VEHICLE IS NOT CAPABLE OF TRANSMITTING POWER TO THE WHEELS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.