1324                           LAWS OF MARYLAND                      [CH. 612

upon written application therefor to said Department. Nothing in
this subsection shall be construed to apply to any dam or obstruction
which is ten feet or less in height above the elevation of the stream
bed or waterway, nor shall it apply to any reservoir with a storage
capacity of less than one million gallons, nor shall it apply to any
reservoir to be designed, constructed and operated as a waste stabiliz-
ation lagoon under permit of the State Department of Health, nor
shall it apply to any structure for the impounding of water, less than
four feet in depth, over tidal and non-tidal swamp lands for the propa-
gation of muskrats and other wildlife species.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
June 1,1963.

Approved April 30, 1963.

CHAPTER 612
(House Bill 435)

AN ACT to add new Section 300A to Article 66½ of the Annotated
Code of Maryland (1957 Edition), title "Motor Vehicles," sub-
title "Operation of Vehicles Upon Highways," to follow immedi-
ately after Section 300 thereof, to require all CERTAIN trailers
or semi-trailers operated on the highways to be equipped with a
metal frame protector attached to the underside of the rear of
the trailer or semi-trailer body, RELATING TO THE REQUIRE-
MENTS FOR AND ATTACHMENT OF THE FRAME and pro-
viding penalties for violations.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That new Section 300A be and it is hereby added to Article 66½ of
the Annotated Code of Maryland (1957 Edition), title "Motor
Vehicles," subtitle "Operation of Vehicles Upon Highways," to
follow immediately after Section 300 thereof, and to read as follows:

300A.

(a) Every trailer or semi-trailer of a gross weight of 3000 pounds
or more when operated upon a highway shall be equipped with a
permanent metal frame attached to the underside of the rear of the
trailer. The frame shall not be any wider than the width of the
trailer, and shall be not more than twenty four 924) THIRTY (30)
inches above the highway when moving and shall be constructed of
heavy gauge steel. The interior of the frame shall be constructed of
heavy steel mesh or other steel design of sufficient density to prevent

any passenger motor vehicles from being driven under the trailer.

THE MAXIMUM TRANSVERSE DISTANCE FROM THE WID-
EST PART OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE AT THE REAR TO THE
FRAME SHALL NOT EXCEED EIGHTEEN (18) INCHES.
The frame shall be constructed so as not to interfere with lights or
other warning devices. ANY TRAILER OR SEMI-TRAILER SO
CONSTRUCTED AND MAINTAINED THAT THE BODY, CHAS-
SIS OR OTHER PARTS THEREOF AFFORD THE PROTECTION
REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE IN