Whenever any motor vehicle is towing a trailer coach or a camp trailer the combination of vehicles shall be equipped with a lamp-type turn signal system.
(Amended by Stats. 1971, Ch. 1536.)
(a) Any vehicle may be equipped with a lamp-type turn signal system capable of clearly indicating any intention to turn either to the right or to the left.
(b) The following vehicles shall be equipped with a lamp-type turn signal system meeting the requirements of this chapter.
(1) Motortrucks, truck tractors, buses and passenger vehicles, other than motorcycles, manufactured and first registered on or after January 1, 1958.
(2) Trailers and semitrailers
manufactured and first registered between December 31, 1957, and January 1, 1969, having a gross weight of 6,000 pounds or more.
(3) Trailers and semitrailers 80 or more inches in width manufactured on or after January 1, 1969.
(4) Motorcycles manufactured and first registered on or after January 1, 1973, except motor-driven cycles whose speed attainable in one mile is 30 miles per hour or less.
The requirements of this subdivision shall not apply to special mobile equipment, or auxiliary dollies.
(c) Turn signal lamps on vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 1969, shall be mounted not lower than 15 inches.
(Amended by Stats. 1975, Ch. 475.)
A lamp-type turn signal shall be plainly visible and understandable in normal sunlight and at nighttime from a distance of at least 300 feet to the front and rear of the vehicle, except that turn signal lamps on vehicles of a size required to be equipped with clearance lamps shall be visible from a distance of 500 feet during such times.
(Amended by Stats. 1965, Ch. 1012.)
(a) Any turn signal system used to give a signal of intention to turn right or left shall project a flashing white or amber light visible to the front and a flashing red or amber light visible to the rear.
(b) Side-mounted turn signal lamps projecting a flashing amber light to either side may be used to supplement the front and rear turn signals. Side-mounted turn signal lamps mounted to the rear of the center of the vehicle may project a flashing red light no part of which
shall be visible from the front.
(c) In addition to any required turn signal lamps, any vehicle may be equipped with supplemental rear turn signal lamps mounted to the rear of the rearmost portion of the driver’s seat in its rearmost position.
(d) In addition to any required or authorized turn signal lamps, any vehicle may be equipped with supplemental rear turn signal lamps that are mounted on, or are an integral portion of, the outside rearview mirrors, so long as the lamps flash simultaneously with the rear turn signal lamps, the light emitted from the lamps is projected only to the rear of the vehicle and is not visible to the driver under normal operating conditions, except for a visual indicator designed to allow monitoring of lamp operation, and the lamps do not project a glaring light.
(Amended by Stats. 1997, Ch. 945, Sec. 22. Effective January 1, 1998.)