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| [ Introduced ] | [ Enrolled ] | [ Senate Amendment 001 ] |
92_HB0161eng HB0161 Engrossed LRB9201494DHmg 1 AN ACT in relation to vehicles. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by 5 changing Sections 12-215 and 12-601 as follows: 6 (625 ILCS 5/12-215) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-215) 7 Sec. 12-215. Oscillating, rotating or flashing lights on 8 motor vehicles. Except as otherwise provided in this Code: 9 (a) The use of red or white oscillating, rotating or 10 flashing lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited 11 except on: 12 1. Law enforcement vehicles of State, Federal or 13 local authorities; 14 2. A vehicle operated by a police officer or county 15 coroner and designated or authorized by local 16 authorities, in writing, as a law enforcement vehicle; 17 however, such designation or authorization must be 18 carried in the vehicle; 19 3. Vehicles of local fire departments and State or 20 federal firefighting vehicles; 21 4. Vehicles which are designed and used exclusively 22 as ambulances or rescue vehicles; furthermore, such 23 lights shall not be lighted except when responding to an 24 emergency call for and while actually conveying the sick 25 or injured; and 26 5. Tow trucks licensed in a state that requires 27 such lights; furthermore, such lights shall not be 28 lighted on any such tow truck while the tow truck is 29 operating in the State of Illinois. 30 (b) The use of amber oscillating, rotating or flashing 31 lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited except HB0161 Engrossed -2- LRB9201494DHmg 1 on: 2 1. Second division vehicles designed and used for 3 towing or hoisting vehicles; furthermore, such lights 4 shall not be lighted except as required in this paragraph 5 1; such lights shall be lighted when such vehicles are 6 actually being used at the scene of an accident or 7 disablement; if the towing vehicle is equipped with a 8 flat bed that supports all wheels of the vehicle being 9 transported, the lights shall not be lighted while the 10 vehicle is engaged in towing on a highway; if the towing 11 vehicle is not equipped with a flat bed that supports all 12 wheels of a vehicle being transported, the lights shall 13 be lighted while the towing vehicle is engaged in towing 14 on a highway during all times when the use of headlights 15 is required under Section 12-201 of this Code; 16 2. Motor vehicles or equipment of the State of 17 Illinois, local authorities and contractors; furthermore, 18 such lights shall not be lighted except while such 19 vehicles are engaged in maintenance or construction 20 operations within the limits of construction projects; 21 3. Vehicles or equipment used by engineering or 22 survey crews; furthermore, such lights shall not be 23 lighted except while such vehicles are actually engaged 24 in work on a highway; 25 4. Vehicles of public utilities, municipalities, or 26 other construction, maintenance or automotive service 27 vehicles except that such lights shall be lighted only as 28 a means for indicating the presence of a vehicular 29 traffic hazard requiring unusual care in approaching, 30 overtaking or passing while such vehicles are engaged in 31 maintenance, service or construction on a highway; 32 5. Oversized vehicle or load; however, such lights 33 shall only be lighted when moving under permit issued by 34 the Department under Section 15-301 of this Code; HB0161 Engrossed -3- LRB9201494DHmg 1 6. The front and rear of motorized equipment owned 2 and operated by the State of Illinois or any political 3 subdivision thereof, which is designed and used for 4 removal of snow and ice from highways; 5 7. Fleet safety vehicles registered in another 6 state, furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted 7 except as provided for in Section 12-212 of this Code; 8 8. Such other vehicles as may be authorized by 9 local authorities; 10 9. Law enforcement vehicles of State or local 11 authorities when used in combination with red 12 oscillating, rotating or flashing lights; 13 10. Vehicles used for collecting or delivering mail 14 for the United States Postal Service provided that such 15 lights shall not be lighted except when such vehicles are 16 actually being used for such purposes; 17 11. Any vehicle displaying a slow-moving vehicle 18 emblem as provided in Section 12-205.1; 19 12. All trucks equipped with self-compactors or 20 roll-off hoists and roll-on containers for garbage or 21 refuse hauling. Such lights shall not be lighted except 22 when such vehicles are actually being used for such 23 purposes; 24 13. Vehicles used by a security company, alarm 25 responder, or control agency, if the security company, 26 alarm responder, or control agency is bound by a contract 27 with a federal, State, or local government entity to use 28 the lights; and 29 14. Security vehicles of the Department of Human 30 Services; however, the lights shall not be lighted except 31 when being used for security related purposes under the 32 direction of the superintendent of the facility where the 33 vehicle is located. 34 (c) The use of blue oscillating, rotating or flashing HB0161 Engrossed -4- LRB9201494DHmg 1 lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited except 2 on: 3 1. Rescue squad vehicles not owned by a fire 4 department and vehicles owned or fully operated by a: 5 voluntary firefighter; 6 paid firefighter; 7 part-paid firefighter; 8 call firefighter; 9 member of the board of trustees of a fire 10 protection district; 11 paid or unpaid member of a rescue squad; or 12 paid or unpaid member of a voluntary ambulance 13 unit. 14 However, such lights are not to be lighted except 15 when responding to a bona fide emergency. 16 2. Police department vehicles in cities having a 17 population of 500,000 or more inhabitants. 18 3. Law enforcement vehicles of State or local 19 authorities when used in combination with red 20 oscillating, rotating or flashing lights. 21 4. Vehicles of local fire departments and State or 22 federal firefighting vehicles when used in combination 23 with red oscillating, rotating or flashing lights. 24 5. Vehicles which are designed and used exclusively 25 as ambulances or rescue vehicles when used in combination 26 with red oscillating, rotating or flashing lights; 27 furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted except when 28 responding to an emergency call. 29 6. Vehicles that are equipped and used exclusively 30 as organ transport vehicles when used in combination with 31 red oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights; 32 furthermore, these lights shall only be lighted when the 33 transportation is declared an emergency by a member of 34 the transplant team or a representative of the organ HB0161 Engrossed -5- LRB9201494DHmg 1 procurement organization. 2 (c-1) In addition to the blue oscillating, rotating, or 3 flashing lights permitted under subsection (c), and 4 notwithstanding subsection (a), a vehicle operated by a 5 voluntary firefighter may be equipped with flashing white 6 headlights and blue grill lights, which may be used only in 7 responding to an emergency call. 8 (d) The use of a combination of amber and white 9 oscillating, rotating or flashing lights, whether lighted or 10 unlighted, is prohibited, except motor vehicles or equipment 11 of the State of Illinois, local authorities and contractors 12 may be so equipped; furthermore, such lights shall not be 13 lighted except while such vehicles are engaged in highway 14 maintenance or construction operations within the limits of 15 highway construction projects. 16 (e) All oscillating, rotating or flashing lights 17 referred to in this Section shall be of sufficient intensity, 18 when illuminated, to be visible at 500 feet in normal 19 sunlight. 20 (f) Nothing in this Section shall prohibit a 21 manufacturer of oscillating, rotating or flashing lights or 22 his representative from temporarily mounting such lights on a 23 vehicle for demonstration purposes only. 24 (g) Any person violating the provisions of subsections 25 (a), (b), (c) or (d) of this Section who without lawful 26 authority stops or detains or attempts to stop or detain 27 another person shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony. 28 (h) Except as provided in subsection (g) above, any 29 person violating the provisions of subsections (a) or (c) of 30 this Section shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. 31 (Source: P.A. 90-330, eff. 8-8-97; 90-347, eff. 1-1-98; 32 90-655, eff. 7-30-98; 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.) 33 (625 ILCS 5/12-601) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-601) HB0161 Engrossed -6- LRB9201494DHmg 1 Sec. 12-601. Horns and warning devices. 2 (a) Every motor vehicle when operated upon a highway 3 shall be equipped with a horn in good working order and 4 capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions 5 from a distance of not less than 200 feet, but no horn or 6 other warning device shall emit an unreasonable loud or harsh 7 sound or a whistle. The driver of a motor vehicle shall when 8 reasonably necessary to insure safe operation give audible 9 warning with his horn but shall not otherwise use such horn 10 when upon a highway. 11 (b) No vehicle shall be equipped with nor shall any 12 person use upon a vehicle any siren, whistle, or bell, except 13 as otherwise permitted in this Section. Any authorized 14 emergency vehicle or organ transport vehicle as defined in 15 Chapter 1 of this Act may be equipped with a siren, whistle, 16 or bell, capable of emitting sound audible under normal 17 conditions from a distance of not less than 500 feet, but 18 such siren, whistle or bell, shall not be used except when 19 such vehicle is operated in response to an emergency call or 20 in the immediate pursuit of an actual or suspected violator 21 of the law in either of which events the driver of such 22 vehicle shall sound such siren, whistle or bell, when 23 necessary to warn pedestrians and other drivers of the 24 approach thereof. A vehicle operated by a voluntary 25 firefighter may be equipped with a siren, which may be used 26 only in responding to an emergency call. 27 (c) Trackless trolley coaches, as defined by Section 28 1-206 of this Code, and replica trolleys, as defined by 29 Section 1-171.04 of this Code, may be equipped with a bell or 30 bells in lieu of a horn, and may, in addition to the 31 requirements of paragraph (a) of this Section, use a bell or 32 bells for the purpose of indicating arrival or departure at 33 designated stops during the hours of scheduled operation. 34 (Source: P.A. 89-345, eff. 1-1-96; 89-687, eff. 6-1-97; HB0161 Engrossed -7- LRB9201494DHmg 1 90-347, eff. 1-1-98; 90-655, eff. 7-30-98.) 2 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 3 becoming law.