93RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2003 and 2004
HB4348

 

Introduced 02/02/04, by Carolyn H. Krause

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
625 ILCS 5/12-215   from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-215

    Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that tow trucks are permitted to use red oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights in the same manner they are permitted to use amber lights of that type. Provides that the red lights may be used either alone or in combination with amber lights.


LRB093 18457 DRH 44169 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB4348 LRB093 18457 DRH 44169 b

1     AN ACT concerning 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 changing
5 Section 12-215 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 local
13     authorities;
14         2. A vehicle operated by a police officer or county
15     coroner and designated or authorized by local authorities,
16     in writing, as a law enforcement vehicle; however, such
17     designation or authorization must be carried in the
18     vehicle;
19         3. Vehicles of local fire departments and State or
20     federal firefighting vehicles;
21         4. Vehicles which are designed and used exclusively as
22     ambulances or rescue vehicles; furthermore, such lights
23     shall not be lighted except when responding to an emergency
24     call for and while actually conveying the sick or injured;
25         5. Tow trucks licensed in a state that requires such
26     lights; furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted on
27     any such tow truck while the tow truck is operating in the
28     State of Illinois;
29         5.1. Second division vehicles designed and used for
30     towing or hoisting vehicles; however, these vehicles may
31     operate only red oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights
32     under this subdivision (a)5.1, either alone or in

 

 

HB4348 - 2 - LRB093 18457 DRH 44169 b

1     combination with the amber oscillating, rotating, or
2     flashing lights permitted for use by these vehicles under
3     subdivision (b)1 of this Section, and the lights permitted
4     under this subdivision (a)5.1 may be used only in the
5     manner prescribed in subdivision (b)1 for the use of the
6     lights permitted under that subdivision;
7         6. Vehicles of the Illinois Emergency Management
8     Agency, and vehicles of the Department of Nuclear Safety;
9         7. Vehicles operated by a local or county emergency
10     management services agency as defined in the Illinois
11     Emergency Management Agency Act; and
12         8. School buses operating alternately flashing head
13     lamps as permitted under Section 12-805 of this Code.
14     (b) The use of amber oscillating, rotating or flashing
15 lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited except on:
16         1. Second division vehicles designed and used for
17     towing or hoisting vehicles; furthermore, such lights
18     shall not be lighted except as required in this paragraph
19     1; such lights shall be lighted when such vehicles are
20     actually being used at the scene of an accident or
21     disablement; if the towing vehicle is equipped with a flat
22     bed that supports all wheels of the vehicle being
23     transported, the lights shall not be lighted while the
24     vehicle is engaged in towing on a highway; if the towing
25     vehicle is not equipped with a flat bed that supports all
26     wheels of a vehicle being transported, the lights shall be
27     lighted while the towing vehicle is engaged in towing on a
28     highway during all times when the use of headlights is
29     required under Section 12-201 of this Code;
30         2. Motor vehicles or equipment of the State of
31     Illinois, local authorities and contractors; furthermore,
32     such lights shall not be lighted except while such vehicles
33     are engaged in maintenance or construction operations
34     within the limits of construction projects;
35         3. Vehicles or equipment used by engineering or survey
36     crews; furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted except

 

 

HB4348 - 3 - LRB093 18457 DRH 44169 b

1     while such vehicles are actually engaged in work on a
2     highway;
3         4. Vehicles of public utilities, municipalities, or
4     other construction, maintenance or automotive service
5     vehicles except that such lights shall be lighted only as a
6     means for indicating the presence of a vehicular traffic
7     hazard requiring unusual care in approaching, overtaking
8     or passing while such vehicles are engaged in maintenance,
9     service or construction on a highway;
10         5. Oversized vehicle or load; however, such lights
11     shall only be lighted when moving under permit issued by
12     the Department under Section 15-301 of this Code;
13         6. The front and rear of motorized equipment owned and
14     operated by the State of Illinois or any political
15     subdivision thereof, which is designed and used for removal
16     of snow and ice from highways;
17         7. Fleet safety vehicles registered in another state,
18     furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted except as
19     provided for in Section 12-212 of this Code;
20         8. Such other vehicles as may be authorized by local
21     authorities;
22         9. Law enforcement vehicles of State or local
23     authorities when used in combination with red oscillating,
24     rotating or flashing lights;
25         9.5. Propane delivery trucks;
26         10. Vehicles used for collecting or delivering mail for
27     the United States Postal Service provided that such lights
28     shall not be lighted except when such vehicles are actually
29     being used for such purposes;
30         11. Any vehicle displaying a slow-moving vehicle
31     emblem as provided in Section 12-205.1;
32         12. All trucks equipped with self-compactors or
33     roll-off hoists and roll-on containers for garbage or
34     refuse hauling. Such lights shall not be lighted except
35     when such vehicles are actually being used for such
36     purposes;

 

 

HB4348 - 4 - LRB093 18457 DRH 44169 b

1         13. Vehicles used by a security company, alarm
2     responder, or control agency;
3         14. Security vehicles of the Department of Human
4     Services; however, the lights shall not be lighted except
5     when being used for security related purposes under the
6     direction of the superintendent of the facility where the
7     vehicle is located; and
8         15. Vehicles of union representatives, except that the
9     lights shall be lighted only while the vehicle is within
10     the limits of a construction project.
11     (c) The use of blue oscillating, rotating or flashing
12 lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited except on:
13         1. Rescue squad vehicles not owned by a fire department
14     and vehicles owned or fully operated by a:
15             voluntary firefighter;
16             paid firefighter;
17             part-paid firefighter;
18             call firefighter;
19             member of the board of trustees of a fire
20         protection district;
21             paid or unpaid member of a rescue squad;
22             paid or unpaid member of a voluntary ambulance
23         unit; or
24             paid or unpaid members of a local or county
25         emergency management services agency as defined in the
26         Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, designated
27         or authorized by local authorities, in writing, and
28         carrying that designation or authorization in the
29         vehicle.
30         However, such lights are not to be lighted except when
31     responding to a bona fide emergency.
32         2. Police department vehicles in cities having a
33     population of 500,000 or more inhabitants.
34         3. Law enforcement vehicles of State or local
35     authorities when used in combination with red oscillating,
36     rotating or flashing lights.

 

 

HB4348 - 5 - LRB093 18457 DRH 44169 b

1         4. Vehicles of local fire departments and State or
2     federal firefighting vehicles when used in combination
3     with red oscillating, rotating or flashing lights.
4         5. Vehicles which are designed and used exclusively as
5     ambulances or rescue vehicles when used in combination with
6     red oscillating, rotating or flashing lights; furthermore,
7     such lights shall not be lighted except when responding to
8     an emergency call.
9         6. Vehicles that are equipped and used exclusively as
10     organ transport vehicles when used in combination with red
11     oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights; furthermore,
12     these lights shall only be lighted when the transportation
13     is declared an emergency by a member of the transplant team
14     or a representative of the organ procurement organization.
15         7. Vehicles of the Illinois Emergency Management
16     Agency and vehicles of the Department of Nuclear Safety,
17     when used in combination with red oscillating, rotating, or
18     flashing lights.
19         8. Vehicles operated by a local or county emergency
20     management services agency as defined in the Illinois
21     Emergency Management Agency Act, when used in combination
22     with red oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights.
23     (c-1) In addition to the blue oscillating, rotating, or
24 flashing lights permitted under subsection (c), and
25 notwithstanding subsection (a), a vehicle operated by a
26 voluntary firefighter, a voluntary member of a rescue squad, or
27 a member of a voluntary ambulance unit may be equipped with
28 flashing white headlights and blue grill lights, which may be
29 used only in responding to an emergency call.
30     (c-2) In addition to the blue oscillating, rotating, or
31 flashing lights permitted under subsection (c), and
32 notwithstanding subsection (a), a vehicle operated by a paid or
33 unpaid member of a local or county emergency management
34 services agency as defined in the Illinois Emergency Management
35 Agency Act, may be equipped with white oscillating, rotating,
36 or flashing lights to be used in combination with blue

 

 

HB4348 - 6 - LRB093 18457 DRH 44169 b

1 oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights, if authorization by
2 local authorities is in writing and carried in the vehicle.
3     (d) The use of a combination of amber and white
4 oscillating, rotating or flashing lights, whether lighted or
5 unlighted, is prohibited except motor vehicles or equipment of
6 the State of Illinois, local authorities, contractors, and
7 union representatives may be so equipped; furthermore, such
8 lights shall not be lighted on vehicles of the State of
9 Illinois, local authorities, and contractors except while such
10 vehicles are engaged in highway maintenance or construction
11 operations within the limits of highway construction projects,
12 and shall not be lighted on the vehicles of union
13 representatives except when those vehicles are within the
14 limits of a construction project.
15     (e) All oscillating, rotating or flashing lights referred
16 to in this Section shall be of sufficient intensity, when
17 illuminated, to be visible at 500 feet in normal sunlight.
18     (f) Nothing in this Section shall prohibit a manufacturer
19 of oscillating, rotating or flashing lights or his
20 representative from temporarily mounting such lights on a
21 vehicle for demonstration purposes only.
22     (g) Any person violating the provisions of subsections (a),
23 (b), (c) or (d) of this Section who without lawful authority
24 stops or detains or attempts to stop or detain another person
25 shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony.
26     (h) Except as provided in subsection (g) above, any person
27 violating the provisions of subsections (a) or (c) of this
28 Section shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
29 (Source: P.A. 92-138, eff. 7-24-01; 92-407, eff. 8-17-01;
30 92-651, eff. 7-11-02; 92-782, eff. 8-6-02; 92-820, eff.
31 8-21-02; 92-872, eff. 6-1-03; 93-181, eff. 1-1-04.)