2020 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 347. Equipment of vehicles.
347.24 Lamps and reflectors on nonmotor vehicles and equipment.

347.24 Lamps and reflectors on nonmotor vehicles and equipment.

(1)

(a) Except as provided under pars. (b) and (c) and s. 347.22 (1), no person may operate on a highway during hours of darkness any implement of husbandry or any other vehicle not specifically required by law to be equipped with lamps or other lighting devices unless such implement or vehicle is equipped with at least 2 lighted lamps or lanterns exhibiting a white light visible from a distance of 500 feet ahead and 2 lighted lamps or lanterns exhibiting a red light visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear or, as an alternative to the red lamps or lanterns, 2 red reflectors mounted as specified in s. 347.18 and meeting the visibility requirements of s. 347.19 may be displayed on the rear of such vehicle or implement of husbandry.

(am) No person may operate on a highway during hours of darkness any implement of husbandry that extends 4 feet or more to the left of the center line of its towing vehicle unless the implement is equipped with an amber reflector meeting the visibility requirements of s. 347.19 and mounted on the left side, facing forward, so as to mark the extreme width of the implement to drivers of oncoming vehicles.

(b) Any implement of husbandry or any other vehicle not specifically required by law to be equipped with lamps or other lighting device and which was manufactured on or before January 1, 1984, shall comply with the lamp requirements of s. 347.24 (1), 1981 stats.

(c) An implement of husbandry which is an all-terrain vehicle or utility terrain vehicle need only comply with the lamp requirements established under s. 23.33 (6).

(d) An off-highway motorcycle, as defined in s. 23.335 (1) (q), that is being operated as an implement of husbandry off a highway need only comply with the lamp requirements established under s. 23.335 (17) (a).

(2) No person may operate on a highway during hours of darkness or during periods of inclement weather a vehicle drawn by an animal unless the vehicle is equipped with at least one lighted white light visible from a distance of 500 feet ahead and 2 lighted red lights and 2 yellow or amber strobe lights visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear. The red rear lights shall be mounted in such a manner as to indicate the extreme width of the vehicle. The yellow or amber strobe lights shall be mounted not more than 6 inches from the lateral extremities of the vehicle.

(3)

(a) In this subsection, “wide implement of husbandry" means any implement of husbandry that has a total width in excess of 15 feet or that partly extends, when operated primarily on the right half of the roadway, over the center of the roadway into any lane intended for travel in the opposite direction.

(b) Except as provided in par. (bm), no person may operate on a highway any wide implement of husbandry unless it is equipped with all of the following and any lamp or light required under this paragraph is lighted and visible at the time of operation:

1. At least 2 amber flashing warning lamps, visible from both the front and rear of the implement of husbandry. When lighted, these lamps shall be capable of being seen and distinguished under normal atmospheric conditions during hours of darkness at a distance of 500 feet from the front and rear of the implement of husbandry. These lamps shall be mounted, as nearly as practicable, to indicate the extreme width of the implement of husbandry, but not more than 16 inches from the lateral extremities of the implement of husbandry.

2. Red retroreflective conspicuity material, visible to the rear and mounted within 25 inches of, respectively, the extreme left and extreme right of the implement of husbandry and spaced as evenly as practicable. This conspicuity material shall be of such size and characteristics and so maintained as to be readily visible during the hours of darkness from all distances within 500 feet to 50 feet from the implement of husbandry when directly in front of lawful upper beams of headlamps.

3. At least 2 strips of yellow retroreflective conspicuity material visible to the front of the implement of husbandry. On the left and right sides of the implement of husbandry, the outer edge of at least one strip of this material shall be mounted within 16 inches of, respectively, the extreme left and extreme right of the implement of husbandry. This conspicuity material shall be of such size and characteristics and so maintained as to be readily visible during the hours of darkness from all distances within 500 feet to 50 feet from the implement of husbandry when directly in front of lawful upper beams of headlamps.

4. Subject to ss. 347.06 (1) and (3), 347.13 (2), and 347.22 (1), at least 2 red tail lamps mounted symmetrically to the rear of the implement of husbandry, or as close to the rear as practicable. These tail lamps are not required to be wired to light when headlamps or other lamps light. When lighted, these tail lamps shall be capable of being seen and distinguished under normal atmospheric conditions during hours of darkness at a distance of 500 feet from the rear of the implement of husbandry.

(bm) A person may operate on a highway, at times other than hours of darkness, a wide implement of husbandry that does not comply with par. (b) if all of the following apply:

1. The wide implement of husbandry is accompanied by an escort vehicle operating with hazard lights activated.

2. Two orange or red flags, not less than 12 inches square, are attached to the rear of the wide implement of husbandry, or as close to the rear as practicable, in a manner that is clearly visible to the operator of a vehicle approaching from the rear and that marks the extreme left and extreme right of the implement of husbandry.

(c) In addition to any applicable requirement under par. (b) or (bm), if a wide implement of husbandry has a total width in excess of 22 feet, no person may operate the implement of husbandry on a highway unless the implement of husbandry is accompanied by an escort vehicle operating with hazard lights activated. If the implement of husbandry is being operated on a highway with only one lane for travel in each direction, the escort vehicle shall be operated ahead of the implement of husbandry on the highway. If the implement of husbandry is being operated on a highway with more than one lane for travel in each direction or on a 3-lane highway, the escort vehicle shall be operated behind the implement of husbandry on the highway. This paragraph does not apply to an implement of husbandry that is traveling between fields or between a farm and a field and is operated on the highway for a distance of 0.5 miles or less.

(d) No person may operate on a highway any implement of husbandry manufactured on or after January 1, 2014, unless it is equipped with all lighting and marking devices with which the implement of husbandry was originally equipped by the manufacturer and all such lighting and marking devices are in good working order and visible at the time of operation.

(e) The requirements under this subsection apply in addition to any applicable requirements under subs. (1) and (2) and ss. 347.21, 347.22, and 347.27.

History: 1977 c. 418; 1983 a. 124; 1985 a. 29; 1993 a. 455; 2001 a. 104; 2011 a. 208; 2013 a. 377; 2015 a. 170, 232; 2017 a. 228.