Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Towing Safety Act”.
Towing Safety Act
A BILL
To amend title 49, United States Code, to establish a length limitation on certain vehicles being transported by heavy-duty tow and recovery vehicles, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Covered heavy-duty tow and recovery vehicles
Section 127(m)(2) of title 23, United States Code, is amended—
by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows:
“(A) is responding to, returning from, or transporting a wrecked or disabled vehicle from the place where the vehicle became wrecked or disabled to the nearest appropriate repair facility or other location, as directed by any agency having jurisdiction;”
in subparagraph (B)—
by striking “gross vehicle weight” and inserting “combined gross vehicle weight rating”; and
by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(C) is traveling within a single State; and
“(D) has axle weights and a configuration that can safely operate on highway bridges along the route of travel as determined by the transportation agency of jurisdiction.”
Sec. 3 Length limitations
Section 31111 of title 49, United States Code, is amended—
in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following:
“(8) Covered heavy-duty tow and recovery vehicle—The term covered heavy-duty tow and recovery vehicle means any vehicle transporting a wrecked or disabled vehicle from the place where the vehicle became wrecked or disabled to the nearest appropriate repair facility or other location, as directed by any agency having jurisdiction.”
in subsection (b)(1)—
in subparagraph (G), by striking “; or” and inserting a semicolon;
in subparagraph (H), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(I) imposes an overall length limit on any combination of vehicles, or the length of any individual vehicle in the combination configuration, being transported by a covered heavy-duty tow and recovery vehicle if the wrecked or disabled vehicle combination being transported was in compliance with applicable length limits at the time and place of the initial wreck or disablement; or
“(J) imposes a limit to the number of vehicles that may be transported in combination with a covered heavy-duty tow and recovery vehicle if the wrecked or disabled vehicle combination being transported was in compliance with applicable limits at the time and place of the initial wreck or disablement.”