An Act to require certain vehicles to be equipped with mud flaps.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of South Dakota:

Section 1. That a NEW SECTION be added to chapter 32-22:

Any truck, trailer, semitrailer, or dump truck that has a rating by the Federal Highway Administration as a Class 6 or above, gross vehicle weight of nineteen thousand, five hundred and one pounds or more, and operated on a public highway or road must be equipped with wheel flaps or other suitable protection above and behind the rearmost wheels of the vehicle to prevent, as far as practicable, the wheels from throwing dirt, water, or other materials on the windshield of a following vehicle. The wheel flaps must be wide enough to cover the full tread width of the tires being protected and have a ground clearance of not more than ten inches from the ground. The provisions of this section do not apply to farm implements or noncommercial vehicles used exclusively for transporting agricultural products. A violation of this section is a petty offense.