808                              Laws of Maryland                      [Ch. 396

land (1970 Replacement Volume), title "Vehicle Laws," subtitle
"Equipment of Vehicles," subheading "Part IV. Other Equipment,"
be and it is hereby repealed, and that new Section 12-413 be and it is
hereby enacted in lieu thereof, to stand in the place of the section
repealed, all to read as follows:

12-413.

[(a) No person shall operate, cause, or permit to be operated on
the highways of this State any motor vehicle or combination of a
motor vehicle and one or more other vehicles unless the vehicle or
combination is equipped with suitable protectors or substantial flexi-
ble flaps behind the rearmost wheels of the vehicle or combination.
The protectors or flaps shall be of sufficient size to prevent the
projection of rocks, dirt, water, or other substance to the rear and to
minimize side spray.

(b)    The protectors or flaps shall be mounted not more than 12
inches to the rear of the rearmost part of the tire on the wheel being
protected. They shall have a vertical ground clearance under all con-
ditions of loading of not more than 6 inches. The protector or flap
shall extend laterally at least the width of the tire being protected.

(c)     The protectors or flaps shall be mounted so as not to swing
rearward more than 30 degrees from the vertical plane of the pro-
tector or flap. Mounting may be in a manner to prevent damage to
the protector or flaps during any change in body position of the
vehicle.

(d)    This section shall not apply to any farm tractor, to any
vehicle which by design, body construction, fender, or other means of
enclosure prevents the projection of such substances substantially
to the extent that such protectors or flaps would, or to any vehicle
where complete freedom about the wheel is necessary to secure the
designed use of the vehicle.]

(a)    No person shall operate, cause, or permit to be operated any
bus or commercial motor vehicle, including semi-trailer SEMI-
TRAILERS and trailers, upon the highways of this state unless it
is equipped with suitable metal protectors or substantial flexible
flaps behind the rear-most wheels of the vehicle or combination to
prevent the projection of rocks, dirt, water or other substances to
the rear and to minimize side spray.

(b)    The protectors or flaps shall have a ground clearance of
not more than one-third of the horizontal distance from the bottom
edge of the protector or flap to the center line of the axle, provided,
however, that no protector or flap need be closer to the ground than
six inches under any condition of loading. The protector or flap shall
extend laterally at least the width of the tire or tires being protected.

(c)    If any bus or commercial motor vehicle, including semi-
trailers and trailers, is so designed or constructed that the objectives
in subsection (a) of the section are accomplished by reason of fender
or body construction or other means of enclosure, either permanent
or temporary, then the requirements of this section have been satis-
fied.

(d)    This section shall not apply to any farm tractor or to any
vehicle registered as a farm truck or to uncoupled truck tractors