[Code of Federal Regulations]

[Title 49, Volume 5]

[Revised as of October 1, 2005]

From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access

[CITE: 49CFR393.13]



[Page 387-388]

 

                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION

 

                      DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

 

PART 393_PARTS AND ACCESSORIES NECESSARY FOR SAFE OPERATION--Table of 

Contents

 

       Subpart B_Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Electrical Wiring

 

Sec. 393.13  Retroreflective sheeting and reflex reflectors, requirements 

for semitrailers and trailers manufactured before December 1, 1993.



    (a) Applicability. All trailers and semitrailers manufactured prior 

to December 1, 1993, which have an overall width of 2,032 mm (80 inches) 

or more and a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 kg (10,001 pounds) or 

more, except trailers that are manufactured exclusively for use as 

offices or dwellings, pole trailers (as defined in Sec. 390.5 of this 

subchapter), and trailers transported in a driveaway-towaway operation, 

must be equipped with retroreflective sheeting or an array of reflex 

reflectors that meet the requirements of this section. Motor carriers 

operating trailers, other than container chassis (as defined in Sec. 

393.5), have until June 1, 2001, to comply with the requirements of this 

section. Motor carriers operating container chassis have until December 

1, 2001, to comply with the requirements of this section.

    (b) Retroreflective sheeting and reflex reflectors. Motor carriers 

are encouraged to retrofit their trailers with a conspicuity system that 

meets all of the requirements applicable to trailers manufactured on or 

after December 1, 1993, including the use of retroreflective sheeting or 

reflex reflectors in a red and white pattern (see Federal Motor Vehicle 

Safety Standard No. 108 (49 CFR 571.108), S5.7, Conspicuity systems). 

Motor carriers which do not retrofit their trailers to meet the 

requirements of FMVSS No. 108, for example by using an alternative color 

pattern, must comply with the remainder of this paragraph and with 

paragraph (c) or (d) of this section. Retroreflective sheeting or reflex 

reflectors in colors or color combinations other than red and white may 

be used on the sides or lower rear area of the semitrailer or trailer 

until June 1, 2009. The alternate color or color combination must be 

uniform along the sides and lower rear area of the trailer. The 

retroreflective sheeting or reflex reflectors on the upper rear area of 

the trailer must be white and conform to the requirements of FMVSS No. 

108 (S5.7). Red retroreflective sheeting or reflex reflectors shall not 

be used along the sides of the trailer unless it is used as part of a 

red and white pattern. Retroreflective sheeting shall have a width of at 

least 50 mm (2 inches).

    (c) Locations for retroreflective sheeting--(1) Sides. 

Retroreflective sheeting shall be applied to each side of the trailer or 

semitrailer. Each strip of retroreflective sheeting shall be positioned 

as horizontally as practicable, beginning and ending as close to the 

front and rear as practicable. The strip need not be continuous but the 

sum of the length of all of the segments shall be at least half of the 

length of the trailer and the spaces between the segments of the strip 

shall be distributed as evenly as practicable. The centerline for each 

strip of retroreflective sheeting shall be between 375 mm (15 inches) 

and 1,525 mm (60 inches) above the road surface when measured with the 

trailer empty or unladen, or as close as practicable to this area. If 

necessary to clear rivet heads or other similar obstructions, 50 mm (2 

inches) wide retroreflective sheeting may be separated into two 25 mm (1 

inch) wide strips of the same length and color, separated by a space of 

not more than 25 mm (1 inch).

    (2) Lower rear area. The rear of each trailer and semitrailer must 

be equipped with retroreflective sheeting. Each strip of retroreflective 

sheeting shall be positioned as horizontally as practicable, extending 

across the full width of the trailer, beginning and ending as close to 

the extreme edges as practicable. The centerline for each of the strips 

of retroreflective sheeting shall be between 375 mm (15 inches) and 

1,525 mm (60 inches) above the road surface when measured with the 

trailer empty or unladen, or as close as practicable to this area.

    (3) Upper rear area. Two pairs of white strips of retroreflective 

sheeting, each pair consisting of strips 300 mm (12 inches) long, must 

be positioned horizontally and vertically on the right and left upper 

corners of the rear of the body of each trailer and semitrailer, as 

close as practicable to the top of the trailer and as far apart as 

practicable. If the perimeter of the body, as viewed from the rear, is 

not square or rectangular, the strips may be applied along the 

perimeter, as close as practicable to the uppermost and outermost areas



[[Page 388]]



of the rear of the body on the left and right sides.

    (d) Locations for reflex reflectors.--(1) Sides. Reflex reflectors 

shall be applied to each side of the trailer or semitrailer. Each array 

of reflex reflectors shall be positioned as horizontally as practicable, 

beginning and ending as close to the front and rear as practicable. The 

array need not be continuous but the sum of the length of all of the 

array segments shall be at least half of the length of the trailer and 

the spaces between the segments of the strip shall be distributed as 

evenly as practicable. The centerline for each array of reflex 

reflectors shall be between 375 mm (15 inches) and 1,525 mm (60 inches) 

above the road surface when measured with the trailer empty or unladen, 

or as close as practicable to this area. The center of each reflector 

shall not be more than 100 mm (4 inches) from the center of each 

adjacent reflector in the segment of the array. If reflex reflectors are 

arranged in an alternating color pattern, the length of reflectors of 

the first color shall be as close as practicable to the length of the 

reflectors of the second color.

    (2) Lower rear area. The rear of each trailer and semitrailer must 

be equipped with reflex reflectors. Each array of reflex reflectors 

shall be positioned as horizontally as practicable, extending across the 

full width of the trailer, beginning and ending as close to the extreme 

edges as practicable. The centerline for each array of reflex reflectors 

shall be between 375 mm (15 inches) and 1,525 mm (60 inches) above the 

road surface when measured with the trailer empty or unladen, or as 

close as practicable to this area. The center of each reflector shall 

not be more than 100 mm (4 inches) from the center of each adjacent 

reflector in the segment of the array.

    (3) Upper rear area. Two pairs of white reflex reflector arrays, 

each pair at least 300 mm (12 inches) long, must be positioned 

horizontally and vertically on the right and left upper corners of the 

rear of the body of each trailer and semitrailer, as close as 

practicable to the top of the trailer and as far apart as practicable. 

If the perimeter of the body, as viewed from the rear, is not square or 

rectangular, the arrays may be applied along the perimeter, as close as 

practicable to the uppermost and outermost areas of the rear of the body 

on the left and right sides. The center of each reflector shall not be 

more than 100 mm (4 inches) from the center of each adjacent reflector 

in the segment of the array.



[64 FR 15605, Mar. 31, 1999, as amended at 66 FR 30339, June 6, 2001]