PRINTER'S NO. 2422
No. 1863 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY KAISER, LEDERER, ROONEY, TRICH, CAPPELLI,
LAUGHLIN, MARKOSEK, FAIRCHILD, READSHAW, SATHER, MAYERNIK,
SHANER, BELFANTI, CASORIO, KELLER, NICKOL, NAILOR, WILT,
PRESTON, SOLOBAY, WOJNAROSKI, RUFFING, TRAVAGLIO,
CALTAGIRONE, PISTELLA, RUBLEY, STABACK, WALKO, TIGUE, GEORGE,
TRELLO, CLARK, GEIST, JAMES, L. I. COHEN, McILHATTAN, HARHAI,
CRUZ, YOUNGBLOOD, SAINATO, DeLUCA, COLAFELLA, ROSS,
J. WILLIAMS, BUNT, COSTA, PALLONE, MAHER AND HORSEY,
JULY 11, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, JULY 11, 2001
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
2 Statutes, further providing for visual and audible signals on
3 emergency vehicles.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Section 4571 of Title 75 of the Pennsylvania
7 Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
8 § 4571. Visual and audible signals on emergency vehicles.
9 (a) General rule.--Every emergency vehicle shall be equipped
10 with one or more revolving or flashing red lights and an audible
11 warning system. Spotlights with adjustable sockets may be
12 attached to or mounted on emergency vehicles.
13 (b) Police, sheriff, fire and coroner or medical examiner
14 vehicles.--
15 (1) Police[, sheriff, coroner, medical examiner or fire
1 police] vehicles may in addition to the requirements of
2 subsection (a) be equipped with revolving or flashing blue
3 lights. The combination of red and blue lights may be used
4 only on police[,] vehicles and may not be used on sheriff,
5 coroner, medical examiner [or], fire police or any other
6 vehicles.
7 (2) Unmarked police and sheriff vehicles, used as
8 emergency vehicles and equipped with audible warning systems,
9 may be equipped with the lights described in this section.
10 (3) Police, sheriff and fire vehicles may be equipped
11 with a mounted rack containing one or more emergency warning
12 lights or side mounted floodlights or alley lights or all
13 such lights.
14 (c.1) Public Utility Commission vehicles.--Vehicles owned or
15 operated by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and used
16 in the enforcement of 66 Pa.C.S. Chs. 23 (relating to common
17 carriers) and 25 (relating to contract carrier by motor vehicle
18 and broker) may be equipped with revolving or flashing red
19 lights in accordance with subsection (a).
20 (d) Vehicles prohibited from [using] containing emergency
21 lights or signals.--Except as otherwise specifically provided in
22 this part, no vehicle other than an emergency vehicle may be
23 equipped with revolving or flashing lights or audible warning
24 systems identical or similar to those specified in subsections
25 (a) and (b).
26 (e) Authorized period of use.--The lights and warning
27 systems specified by this section may be used only during an
28 emergency or in the interest of public safety and by police
29 officers, sheriffs and deputy sheriffs in enforcement of the
30 law. An ambulance which is transporting a patient may use either
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1 the lights or the audible warning system, or both, as determined
2 by the driver of the ambulance.
3 (f) Conformity with department regulations.--All equipment
4 authorized or required by this section shall conform to
5 department regulations.
6 (g) Penalty.--The owner and driver of a vehicle containing
7 visual or audible signals in violation of this section commits a
8 summary offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay
9 a fine of not less than $300 nor more than $1,000 for a first
10 offense. A second or subsequent offense is a misdemeanor of the
11 third degree.
12 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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