CHAPTER 391

AN ACT to amend and reenact §§ 46-297 and 46-298 of the Code
of 1950, relating to safety glass in motor vehicles, so as to
permit ‘the use of certain other safety glazing materials
under certain conditions.

[ H 556 }

Approved April 5, 1950

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §§ 46-297 and 46-298 of the Code of 1950 be amended
and reenacted as follows:

§ 46-297. When safety glass required.—lIt shall be unlaw-
ful for any person to operate on any highway a motor vehicle
registered in this State and manufactured or assembled afte)
January first, nineteen hundred and thirty-five, and designed o1
used for the purpose of carrying persons for compensation 01
hire or as a public conveyance to transport school children anc
others, unless such vehicle be equipped with safety glass where-
ever glass is used in doors, windows, windshields and sideshields.

It shall be unlawful to operate on any highway any motor
vehicle registered in this State, manufactured or assembled after
January first, nineteen hundred and thirty-six, unless such
vehicle be equipped with safety glass wherever glass is used in
doors, windows, windshields and sideshields.

The term “safety glass” as used in this section shall be
construed to mean any product composed of glass so manufac-
tured, fabricated or treated as substantially to prevent shatter-
ing and flying of the glass when struck or broken. The Commis-
sioner shall maintain a list of types of glass approved by the
Superintendent as conforming to the specifications and require-
ments for safety glass as set forth in this section and shall not
issue a license for or relicense any motor vehicle subject to the
provisions herein stated unless such motor vehicle be equipped
as herein provided with such approved type of glass.

No glazing material other than safety glass shall be used
in any motor vehicle registered in this State, except that the
Superintendent may permit safety glazing materials other than
glass to be used in lieu of safety glass in portions of motor
vehicles, trailers and semitrailers designated by him; provided
any such material so used bears a trade name or identifying
mark, and has been submitted to and approved by the Superin-
tendent for such use prior to being used in any such motor
vehicle, trailer or semitrailer.

If any person shall operate any vehicle in violation of the
provisions of this section, he shall be punished as provided in
§ 46-18; if such person shall operate such vehicle under a cer-
tificate issued by the State Corporation Commission, in addition
to the penalty provided in § 46-18 the certificate of such per-
son may in the discretion of the State Corporation Commission
be suspended until the provisions of this section are satisfac-
torily complied with.

§ 46-298. Replacement of glass in vehicle.—It shall be
unlawful for any person to replace any glass in any vehicle re-
quired to have safety glass or in any school bus with any glass
other than an approved type of safety glass; provided, that
safety glazing materials other than glass approved by the Super-
intendent as provided in § 46-297 may be used to replace safety
glass in any portion of a motor vehicle which has been designated
for such use by the Superintendent.

It shall be unlawful for any person to replace a windshield
glass in a vehicle not required to have safety glass with any
glass other than plain plate glass or with safety glass of a type
approved for windshield use.