PRINTER'S NO. 3645
No. 2595 Session of 1976
INTRODUCED BY PITTS, KLINGAMAN AND NOYE, JUNE 30, 1976
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, JUNE 30, 1976
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of April 29, 1959 (P.L.58, No.32), entitled "An
2 act consolidating and revising the Vehicle Code, the Tractor
3 Code, the Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Act and
4 other acts relating to the ownership, possession and use of
5 vehicles and tractors," authorizing additional emergency
6 vehicles to be equipped with red lights, horns and warning
7 devices, granting such vehicles the right of way and
8 providing penalties.
9 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
10 hereby enacts as follows:
11 Section 1. Section 814, subsection (b) of section 820,
12 subsection (b) of section 1014 and subsections (a) and (c) of
13 section 1015, act of April 29, 1959 (P.L.58, No.32), known as
14 "The Vehicle Code," amended December 10, 1974 (P.L.840, No.281),
15 are amended to read:
16 Section 814. Red Light Visible From in Front of Vehicles.--
17 No person shall operate or move any vehicle or tractor with a
18 red light displayed to the front thereof, except school bus,
19 fire department, fire patrol apparatus, police department
20 vehicles, ambulances, emergency vehicles of the armed forces of
21 the United States or the private vehicles of those chiefs of
1 fire or police departments, assistant chiefs of fire or police
2 departments, fire marshals or commanders or assistant commanders
3 of [river] rescue organizations or ambulance corps who, in
4 accordance with a statement filed with the Pennsylvania State
5 Police prior thereto, use the same for answering fire, police or
6 emergency calls.
7 Penalty.--Any person violating any of the provisions of this
8 section, shall, upon summary conviction before a magistrate, be
9 sentenced to pay a fine of ten dollars ($10.00) and costs of
10 prosecution, and, in default of the payment thereof, shall
11 undergo imprisonment for not more than five (5) days.
12 Section 820. Horns and Warning Devices.--
13 * * *
14 (b) Every police, fire department and fire patrol vehicle,
15 ambulance, emergency vehicles of the armed forces of the United
16 States or the private vehicle of the chief of any fire
17 department, and the first assistant chief of any fire
18 department, and when a fire company has three (3) or more pieces
19 of apparatus, a second assistant chief, or the private vehicle
20 of the chief of any police department and the first assistant
21 chief of any police department, fire marshal or commanders or
22 assistant commanders of [river] rescue organizations or
23 ambulance corps who, in accordance with a statement filed with
24 the Pennsylvania State Police prior thereto, uses the same for
25 answering fire or emergency calls, may be equipped with a bell,
26 siren, compression or spark plug whistle, of a type approved by
27 the secretary.
28 * * *
29 Section 1014. Exceptions to the Right of Way Rule.--
30 * * *
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1 (b) The driver of a vehicle upon a highway shall yield the
2 right of way to police, fire department vehicles, ambulances,
3 emergency vehicles of the armed forces of the United States and
4 the private vehicles of those chiefs of fire departments,
5 assistant chiefs of fire departments, fire marshals and
6 commanders or assistant commanders of [river] rescue
7 organizations or ambulance corps who signify in writing their
8 intention to use such vehicles while answering fire or emergency
9 calls, and file the written declaration prior to such use
10 thereof with the Pennsylvania State Police, when such vehicles
11 are operated upon official business and the drivers thereof
12 sound audible signal. This provision shall not operate to
13 relieve the driver of any such vehicle from the duty to drive
14 with due regard for the safety of all persons using the highway,
15 nor shall it protect the driver of any such vehicle from the
16 consequence of an arbitrary exercise of such right of way.
17 * * *
18 Penalty.--Any person violating any of the provisions of this
19 section, shall, upon summary conviction before a magistrate, be
20 sentenced to pay a fine of ($10.00) and costs of prosecution,
21 and, in default of the payment thereof, shall undergo
22 imprisonment for not more than five (5) days.
23 Section 1015. What to Do on Approach of Ambulance, Police,
24 Fire Department, [River] Rescue Vehicle, Ambulance Corps Vehicle
25 or Emergency Vehicle of the Armed Forces of the United States.
26 (a) Upon the approach of any police, fire department
27 vehicle, ambulance, emergency vehicle of the armed forces of the
28 United States, or the private vehicle of the chief of any fire
29 department, assistant chief of any fire department, fire marshal
30 or commanders or assistant commanders of any [river] rescue
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1 organizations or ambulance corps who, in accordance with a
2 statement filed with the Pennsylvania State Police prior
3 thereto, uses the same for answering fire or emergency calls,
4 giving audible signal, the driver of every other vehicle shall
5 immediately drive the same to a position as near as possible,
6 and parallel to, the right-hand edge or curb of the highway,
7 clear of any intersection of highways, and shall stop and remain
8 in such position, unless otherwise directed by a peace officer,
9 until such vehicle shall have passed.
10 * * *
11 (c) Upon the approach of any police, fire department
12 vehicle, ambulance, emergency vehicle of the armed forces of the
13 United States, or the private vehicle of the chief of any fire
14 department, assistant chief of any fire department, fire marshal
15 or commanders or assistant commanders of any [river] rescue
16 organizations or ambulance corps who, in accordance with a
17 statement filed with the Pennsylvania State Police prior
18 thereto, uses the same for answering fire or emergency calls,
19 giving audible signal, the operator of every streetcar or
20 trackless trolley omnibus shall immediately stop and remain in
21 such position, unless otherwise directed by a peace officer,
22 until such vehicle shall have passed.
23 Penalty.--Any person violating any of the provisions of this
24 section, shall, upon summary conviction before a magistrate, be
25 sentenced to pay a fine of not less than ten dollars ($10.00)
26 and not more than fifty dollars ($50.00) and costs of
27 prosecution, and, in default of the payment thereof, shall
28 undergo imprisonment for not more than ten (10) days.
29 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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