(a) Every vehicle other than a motor vehicle, when traveling upon a state highway, state aid road or other road, highway or street under the control of the state, the federal government or any political division thereof, dedicated, appropriated or open to public use or travel, shall be equipped with a light attached to and on the upper left side of the vehicle, capable of displaying a light visible five hundred feet (500′) to the front and five hundred feet (500′) to the rear of the vehicle under ordinary atmospheric conditions, and the light shall be displayed during the period from one-half (1/2) hour after sunset to one-half (1/2) hour before sunrise and at all other times when there is not sufficient light to render clearly discernible any person on the road or highway at a distance of two hundred feet (200′) ahead of the vehicle.

Attorney's Note

Under the Tennessee Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
class C misdemeanorup to 30 daysup to $50
For details, see Tenn. Code § 40-35-111
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 55-9-401

  • Farm tractor: means every motor vehicle designed and used primarily as a farm implement for drawing plows, mowing machines and other implements of husbandry. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
  • Highway: means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way when any part thereto is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
  • Implement of husbandry: means every vehicle that is designed for agricultural purposes and exclusively used by the owner thereof in the conduct of the owner's agricultural operations. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
  • Person: means a natural person, firm, copartnership, association, corporation, or an engaged ADS. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
  • Road: includes public bridges and may be held equivalent to the words "county way" "county road" or "state road". See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Street: means the entire width between boundary lines of every way when any part thereof is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
  • Tractor: means any self-propelled vehicle designed or used as a traveling power plant or for drawing other vehicles, but having no provision for carrying loads independently. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
  • Vehicle: means every device in, upon or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a highway, excepting devices used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks. See Tennessee Code 55-8-101
(b) Cotton wagons used exclusively to transport cotton shall not be required to display the light described in subsection (a), but shall display:

(1) A red tail lamp on the lower left corner of the rear of the wagon; and
(2) A triangle-shaped slow-moving vehicle identification emblem meeting Standard S276.8 of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers. The emblem shall be placed on the lower left corner of the rear of the wagon. The user of a cotton wagon shall be responsible for the proper function of the symbol or light, except for any malfunction resulting from the act or omission of another person.
(c) No person shall operate on a highway a horse-drawn vehicle that is used on the highway primarily as a means of transportation during the period of time from one-half (1/2) hour before sunset until one-half (1/2) hour after sunrise and at all other times when there is not sufficient light to render clearly discernible any person on the road or highway at a distance of two hundred feet (200′) ahead of the vehicle, unless the vehicle:

(1)

(A) Is equipped with two (2) reflective type lanterns, one (1) to be placed on the left side of the vehicle and one (1) to be placed on the right side of the vehicle with the lantern on the right side to be placed at least twelve inches (12″) higher than the lantern on the left, and also has a minimum of one hundred square inches (100 sq. in.) of reflector tape placed on the rear of the vehicle, thirty-six inches (36″) of reflector tape placed on each side of the vehicle, and twenty-four inches (24″) of reflector tape placed at the highest point of the left front of the vehicle; and
(B) Is equipped with one (1) red, battery-operated light-emitting diode (LED) flashing light located at the top left-hand corner on the rear of the vehicle. The light must be at least three inches (3″) by three inches (3″); or
(2)

(A) Has a minimum of one hundred square inches (100 sq. in.) of reflector tape placed on the rear of the vehicle, thirty-six inches (36″) of reflector tape placed on each side of the vehicle, and twenty-four inches (24″) of reflector tape placed at the highest point of the left front of the vehicle;
(B) Has six inches (6″) of reflector piping tape placed on two (2) locations on the rear, left wheel of the vehicle; and
(C) Is equipped with two (2) reflective type lanterns, one (1) to be placed on the left side of the vehicle and one (1) to be placed on the right side of the vehicle with the lantern on the right side to be placed at least twelve inches (12″) higher than the lantern on the left. Each lantern must be equipped with a red reflective type lens that is at least three inches (3″) by three inches (3″).
(d) During the period of time from one-half (1/2) hour before sunset until one-half (1/2) hour after sunrise, any implement of husbandry as defined in § 55-1-108 having a width of more than ninety-six inches (96″), which is towed behind a farm tractor or other motor vehicle, and the lighting of the farm tractor or other motor vehicle is concealed by the implement of husbandry, shall be equipped with two (2) red or amber flashing lamps, one on each side, attached at the rear, or accompanied by a rear escort utilizing its emergency flashers.
(e) A violation of this section is a Class C misdemeanor, punishable only by a fine not to exceed fifty dollars ($50.00); except, the fine imposed for a violation of subsection (c) is ten dollars ($10.00).
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