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Local Emergency Light Laws
I was just wondering what the laws of your state say for POV's to have emergency lights and sirens. I live in Maine where we have very strict laws in reference to POV's and emergnecy lights, you can have two red or white lights in the grill OR 1 in the window if it is not obstructing your view. You have no special laws for responding and people do NOT have to pull over for you if they dont want. Also your not aloud sirens. I've been giving thought to moving to another state and I am hoping to see about your local rules and regulations.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Brian on
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It would make too much sense for all states to use the same protocols and rules and stay uniform, especially when it comes to public safety. Its ironic that depending what state you go to, will dictate what color lights are emergency lights for police, versus fire/ems, etc. Here in Wisconsin, state law says, in order to stop or park in an otherwise moving lane of traffic, you are required to have lights. Red and White are Fire/EMS colors here. In order to exceed the speed limit, to go through a stop sign or traffic signal, by state law, you are required to have an audible siren along with visual warning lights. To be technical, you are supposed to have 360 degrees of visibility. I have it on my truck as do some other people (Mainly because they came to me for advice), but most get away with 1 or 2 lights. The cops don't usually bother you. Of course, you still are required to drive with due regard for others safety while exceeding the normal driving laws. There is no limit as to the maximum lights however that you can place on your vehicle.
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Permalink Reply by Thurlow Harper on
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Which Company do you refer to????????
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Permalink Reply by Chris on
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In Texas you can have as many lights as you want but you must have a siren and lights must be visible 360 degrees (in other words you need a light bar or lights completely around your vehicle. You can operate Red only or Red and Blue Combo. Your vehicle is also considered an Emergency Vehicle when responding. So if you have police around and the person doesn't Yield to you they can be ticketed.
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Permalink Reply by T.j. on
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According to the PA Vehicle Code you are not able to run white lights with blue, only with red.
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Permalink Reply by Smokeyjoe85 on
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Hi Levi! My name is Mike; as for my area(Upper Michigan Peninsula),and as for the Volunteer Fire Dept. I belong to-red,amber,or Blue lights-they perfer on top of auto,rather than a dash light-as it can be seen alot better. But some do have dash lights. We are authorized to have sirens in our auto. For the most part,people usually do move out of the way for an emergency auto-but just because we have these,doesn't mean it's our given right-we are asking to go ahead of traffic. They comply !. And we are aloud to go 10 miles over the speed limit on an emergency run. We are to use safety at all times. I hope this has helped you........later brother.........Mike
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Permalink Reply by Piney Power on
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New Jersey:
39:3-54.10 Placement of motor vehicle, types of lights.
4. No more than two emergency warning lights shall be installed on a vehicle. If one light is used it shall be installed in the center of the roof of the car, or on the front of the vehicle so that the top of the emergency warning light is no higher than the top of the vehicle's headlights, or in the center of the dashboard. It may be a low profile light bar of the strobe, halogen or incandescent type, or a combination thereof. If two lights are used they may be placed on the windshield columns on each side of the vehicle where spotlights are normally mounted, or on either side of the roof at the front of the vehicle directly back of the top of the windshield. Under no circumstances may one light be placed on the roof and one on the windshield column in the spotlight position. Light elements shall be shielded from direct sight or view of the driver.
L.1977,c.223,s.4; amended 1979, c.71, s.3; 2005, c.218, s.3.
39:3-54.12 Rights of motor vehicle with emergency lights in operation.
6. Nothing contained herein is intended to grant to any member of a volunteer fire company, a volunteer first aid or rescue squad or a volunteer Office of Emergency Management any privileges or exemptions denied to the drivers of other vehicles, and such members operating emergency warning lights shall drive with due regard for the safety of all persons and shall obey all the traffic laws of this State including R.S.39:4-81, provided, however, that the drivers of non-emergency vehicles upon any highway shall yield the right of way to the vehicle of any member of a volunteer fire company, a volunteer first aid or rescue squad or a volunteer Office of Emergency Management operating emergency warning lights in the same manner as is provided for authorized emergency vehicles pursuant to R.S.39:4-92.
L.1977,c.223,s.6; amended 2005, c.34, s.4; 2005, c.218, s.5.
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Permalink Reply by PFC Harmon on
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I live in Tn. and have not seen the actual law but as best as I understand you have to have the fire cheifs and mayors permission. As far as lights go you have to have 360 degree warning, have a siren and the lights can only be red and white. And for running lights you have to notify your insurance co and can only go 10mph over the limit wich is plenty enough.
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Guess I'm not moving to New Jersey, I have plenty of lights as I want to be seen when I am on the side of the road/at a scene/or moving. Granted none of us have the RIGHT to ask for the right of way, it is as most others have pointed out, a priveledge. I never understood why there was a maximum "rule" for the amount of lights one can have. I realize that some tend to go overboard, but even fire and EMS apparatus are underlighted in my opinion. Perhaps not some of the newer ones, but look at the older ones. A lot of those lights aren't able to be seen at any good distance.
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Well, we're all volunteer in my area so everyone is required to respond to the firehouse; we are not allowed to respond to incidents in our POV's as they are not recognized "emergency vehicles" in the state of NJ. In our area, however, we really don't need that many lights on our POV's. There's no need for it around here. One light is more than enough in my township as far as I've experienced. Volunteers in NJ cannot use blue lights on state highways so that pretty much limits us to local roads and some larger roadways that is actually necessary to have a blue light on.
As for the "privilege," in NJ, it is no longer a "privilege," but rather a state statute to move to the right of the road when a POV with a blue light approaches a non-emergency vehicle. It is a "moving violation" if they do not. This was revised in 2005, as you can see from the listed statute in my original reply.
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Permalink Reply by Ittywah on
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Here is the Web address for NC Statute GS 20 130.1 covering that topic: http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySect...
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Permalink Reply by jonathon on
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in ny you are only alowed to have one light 360* only chiefs can run red lites and sirens your blue light can only be 1 jewl power too so you guys are lucky they are pretty strict here
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Permalink Reply by Art Sutherland on
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http://www.policeposers.com/laws.php try this link it has the Light Laws....It is helping in my fight for lights.
Art
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