§ 393.26 Requirements for reflectors.
Current wording, in the annual edition revised as of Oct. 1, 2005.
(a) Mounting. AllReflex required reflectors shall be mounted uponat the motorlocations vehiclerequired atby a§ height393.11. notIn lessthe thancase 15of inchesmotor norvehicles moreso thanconstructed 60that inchesrequirement abovefor thea ground381 onmm which(15-inch) minimum height above the motorroad vehiclesurface stands,is exceptnot thatpractical, the reflectors shall be mounted as highclose as practicable onto motorthe vehiclesrequired whichmounting areheight sorange. constructedAll aspermanent toreflex makereflectors complianceshall withbe thesecurely 15-inchmounted requirementon impracticala rigid part of the vehicle. TheyTemporary shallreflectors on projecting loads must be sosecurely installedmounted asto the load and are not required to performbe theirpermanently functionmounted adequatelyto anda reliably,part andof exceptthe forvehicle. temporaryTemporary reflex reflectors requiredon for vehicles transported in driveaway-towaway operations, ormust onbe projectingfirmly loads,attached.
(b) allSpecifications. reflectorsAll shallrequired bereflex permanentlyreflectors and(except securelyreflex mountedreflectors inon workmanlikeprojecting mannerloads, sovehicles astransported toin providea thedriveaway-towaway maximumoperation, ofconverter stabilitydollies and thepole minimumtrailers) likelihoodon ofvehicles damage.manufactured Requiredon reflectorsor otherwiseafter properlyDecember mounted25, may1968, beshall securelymeet installedthe onapplicable flexiblerequirements strappingof orFMVSS beltingNo. provided108 thatin undereffect conditionson ofthe normaldate operationof theymanufacture reflectof light in the required directionsvehicle. RequiredReflex temporary reflectors mounted on motorprojecting loads, vehicles duringtransported thein timea theydriveaway-towaway areoperation, inand transitall inreflex anyreflectors driveaway-towawayon operationconverter dollies and pole trailers must beconform firmlyto attachedSAE J594—Reflex Reflectors, December 2003.
(bc) Specifications.Substitute Allmaterial requiredfor side reflex reflectors. exceptReflective thosematerial installedconforming onto vehiclesASTM tenderedD for4956-04, transportationStandard inSpecification driveawayfor andRetroreflective towawaySheeting operationsfor shallTraffic complyControl, withmay FMVSSbe 571.108used (49in CFRlieu 571.108)of inreflex effectreflectors atif the timematerial as used on the vehicle, wasmeets manufacturedthe orperformance thestandards currentin FMVSSeither 571.108Table requirements.I
(c)Certificationof andSAE markings.J594 Allor reflectorsTable requiredIA toof conformSAE toJ594—Reflex theReflectors, specificationsDecember in2003. paragraph(See § 393.7(b) shallfor beinformation certifiedon by the manufacturerincorporation orby supplierreference thatand theyavailability doof sothese conform,documents.)
(d) byUse markingof withadditional theretroreflective manufacturer'ssurfaces. orAdditional supplier'sretroreflective namesurfaces ormay tradebe nameused andin theconjunction letterswith, “SAE-A”.but Thenot marking in eachlieu caseof shallthe bereflex visiblereflectors whenrequired thein reflectorsubpart isB inof placepart on393, and the vehicle.substitute
(d)Retroreflectivematerial surfaces.for Retroreflectiveside surfacesreflex otherreflectors thanallowed requiredby reflectorsparagraph may(c) beof usedthis section, provided:
(1) Designs do not resemble traffic control signs, lights, or devices, except that straight edge striping resembling a barricade pattern may be used.
(2) Designs do not tend to distort the length and/or width of the motor vehicle.
(3) Such surfaces shall be at least 3 inches from any required lamp or reflector unless of the same color as such lamp or reflector.
(4) No red color shall be used on the front of any motor vehicle, except for display of markings or placards required by § 177.823 of this title.
(5) Retroreflective license plates required by State or local authorities may be used.
[33 FR 19735, Dec. 25, 1968, as amended at 35 FR 3167, Feb. 19, 1970; 53 FR 49397, Dec. 7, 1988; 70 FR 48047, Aug. 15, 2005]
(a) Mounting. Reflex reflectors shall be mounted at the locations required by § 393.11. In the case of motor vehicles so constructed that requirement for a 381 mm (15-inch) minimum height above the road surface is not practical, the reflectors shall be mounted as close as practicable to the required mounting height range. All permanent reflex reflectors shall be securely mounted on a rigid part of the vehicle. Temporary reflectors on projecting loads must be securely mounted to the load and are not required to be permanently mounted to a part of the vehicle. Temporary reflex reflectors on vehicles transported in driveaway-towaway operations must be firmly attached.
(b) Specifications. All required reflex reflectors (except reflex reflectors on projecting loads, vehicles transported in a driveaway-towaway operation, converter dollies and pole trailers) on vehicles manufactured on or after December 25, 1968, shall meet the applicable requirements of FMVSS No. 108 in effect on the date of manufacture of the vehicle. Reflex reflectors on projecting loads, vehicles transported in a driveaway-towaway operation, and all reflex reflectors on converter dollies and pole trailers must conform to SAE J594—Reflex Reflectors, December 2003.
(c) Substitute material for side reflex reflectors. Reflective material conforming to ASTM D 4956-04, Standard Specification for Retroreflective Sheeting for Traffic Control, may be used in lieu of reflex reflectors if the material as used on the vehicle, meets the performance standards in either Table I of SAE J594 or Table IA of SAE J594—Reflex Reflectors, December 2003. (See § 393.7(b) for information on the incorporation by reference and availability of these documents.)
(d) Use of additional retroreflective surfaces. Additional retroreflective surfaces may be used in conjunction with, but not in lieu of the reflex reflectors required in subpart B of part 393, and the substitute material for side reflex reflectors allowed by paragraph (c) of this section, provided:
(1) Designs do not resemble traffic control signs, lights, or devices, except that straight edge striping resembling a barricade pattern may be used.
(2) Designs do not tend to distort the length and/or width of the motor vehicle.
(3) Such surfaces shall be at least 3 inches from any required lamp or reflector unless of the same color as such lamp or reflector.
(4) No red color shall be used on the front of any motor vehicle, except for display of markings or placards required by § 177.823 of this title.
(5) Retroreflective license plates required by State or local authorities may be used.
[33 FR 19735, Dec. 25, 1968, as amended at 35 FR 3167, Feb. 19, 1970; 53 FR 49397, Dec. 7, 1988; 70 FR 48047, Aug. 15, 2005]
Amendment history
2 distinct wordings on file since Oct. 1, 1996- [33 FR 19735, Dec. 25, 1968, as amended at 35 FR 3167, Feb. 19, 1970; 53 FR 49397, Dec. 7, 1988; 70 FR 48047, Aug. 15, 2005]
- Oct. 1, 1996 → Oct. 1, 2005annual editions 1996–2004[33 FR 19735, Dec. 25, 1968, as amended at 35 FR 3167, Feb. 19, 1970; 53 FR 49397, Dec. 7, 1988]
A new entry appears whenever the regulatory words change between government snapshots. Day-precise from the eCFR (2017 onward); before that, one snapshot per annual CFR edition (revised as of October 1). Bracketed citations are the Federal Register history printed with the section. Set a case date in the header to read any earlier wording.