SB1424 EnrolledLRB099 07205 RJF 27299 b

1    AN ACT concerning transportation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by changing
5Section 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
8motor vehicles. Except as otherwise provided in this Code:
9    (a) The use of red or white oscillating, rotating or
10flashing lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited
11except 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        2.1. A vehicle operated by a fire chief who has
20    completed an emergency vehicle operation training course
21    approved by the Office of the State Fire Marshal and
22    designated or authorized by local authorities, in writing,
23    as a fire department, fire protection district, or township

 

 

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1    fire department vehicle; however, the designation or
2    authorization must be carried in the vehicle, and the
3    lights may be visible or activated only when responding to
4    a bona fide emergency;
5        3. Vehicles of local fire departments and State or
6    federal firefighting vehicles;
7        4. Vehicles which are designed and used exclusively as
8    ambulances or rescue vehicles; furthermore, such lights
9    shall not be lighted except when responding to an emergency
10    call for and while actually conveying the sick or injured;
11        5. Tow trucks licensed in a state that requires such
12    lights; furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted on
13    any such tow truck while the tow truck is operating in the
14    State of Illinois;
15        6. Vehicles of the Illinois Emergency Management
16    Agency, vehicles of the Office of the Illinois State Fire
17    Marshal, vehicles of the Illinois Department of Public
18    Health, vehicles of the Illinois Department of
19    Corrections, and vehicles of the Illinois Department of
20    Juvenile Justice;
21        7. Vehicles operated by a local or county emergency
22    management services agency as defined in the Illinois
23    Emergency Management Agency Act;
24        8. School buses operating alternately flashing head
25    lamps as permitted under Section 12-805 of this Code;
26        9. Vehicles that are equipped and used exclusively as

 

 

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1    organ transplant vehicles when used in combination with
2    blue oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights;
3    furthermore, these lights shall be lighted only when the
4    transportation is declared an emergency by a member of the
5    transplant team or a representative of the organ
6    procurement organization;
7        10. Vehicles of the Illinois Department of Natural
8    Resources that are used for mine rescue and explosives
9    emergency response; and
10        11. Vehicles of the Illinois Department of
11    Transportation identified as Emergency Traffic Patrol; the
12    lights shall not be lighted except when responding to an
13    emergency call or when parked or stationary while engaged
14    in motor vehicle assistance or at the scene of the
15    emergency; and
16        12. Vehicles of the Illinois State Toll Highway
17    Authority identified as Highway Emergency Lane Patrol; the
18    lights shall not be lighted except when responding to an
19    emergency call or when parked or stationary while engaged
20    in motor vehicle assistance or at the scene of the
21    emergency.
22    (b) The use of amber oscillating, rotating or flashing
23lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited except on:
24        1. Second division vehicles designed and used for
25    towing or hoisting vehicles; furthermore, such lights
26    shall not be lighted except as required in this paragraph

 

 

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1    1; such lights shall be lighted when such vehicles are
2    actually being used at the scene of an accident or
3    disablement; if the towing vehicle is equipped with a flat
4    bed that supports all wheels of the vehicle being
5    transported, the lights shall not be lighted while the
6    vehicle is engaged in towing on a highway; if the towing
7    vehicle is not equipped with a flat bed that supports all
8    wheels of a vehicle being transported, the lights shall be
9    lighted while the towing vehicle is engaged in towing on a
10    highway during all times when the use of headlights is
11    required under Section 12-201 of this Code; in addition,
12    these vehicles may use white oscillating, rotating, or
13    flashing lights in combination with amber oscillating,
14    rotating, or flashing lights as provided in this paragraph;
15        2. Motor vehicles or equipment of the State of
16    Illinois, the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, local
17    authorities and contractors; furthermore, such lights
18    shall not be lighted except while such vehicles are engaged
19    in maintenance or construction operations within the
20    limits of construction projects;
21        3. Vehicles or equipment used by engineering or survey
22    crews; furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted except
23    while such vehicles are actually engaged in work on a
24    highway;
25        4. Vehicles of public utilities, municipalities, or
26    other construction, maintenance or automotive service

 

 

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1    vehicles except that such lights shall be lighted only as a
2    means for indicating the presence of a vehicular traffic
3    hazard requiring unusual care in approaching, overtaking
4    or passing while such vehicles are engaged in maintenance,
5    service or construction on a highway;
6        5. Oversized vehicle or load; however, such lights
7    shall only be lighted when moving under permit issued by
8    the Department under Section 15-301 of this Code;
9        6. The front and rear of motorized equipment owned and
10    operated by the State of Illinois or any political
11    subdivision thereof, which is designed and used for removal
12    of snow and ice from highways;
13        6.1. The front and rear of motorized equipment or
14    vehicles that (i) are not owned by the State of Illinois or
15    any political subdivision of the State, (ii) are designed
16    and used for removal of snow and ice from highways and
17    parking lots, and (iii) are equipped with a snow plow that
18    is 12 feet in width; these lights may not be lighted except
19    when the motorized equipment or vehicle is actually being
20    used for those purposes on behalf of a unit of government;
21        7. Fleet safety vehicles registered in another state,
22    furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted except as
23    provided for in Section 12-212 of this Code;
24        8. Such other vehicles as may be authorized by local
25    authorities;
26        9. Law enforcement vehicles of State or local

 

 

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1    authorities when used in combination with red oscillating,
2    rotating or flashing lights;
3        9.5. Propane delivery trucks;
4        10. Vehicles used for collecting or delivering mail for
5    the United States Postal Service provided that such lights
6    shall not be lighted except when such vehicles are actually
7    being used for such purposes;
8        10.5. Vehicles of the Office of the Illinois State Fire
9    Marshal, provided that such lights shall not be lighted
10    except for when such vehicles are engaged in work for the
11    Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal;
12        11. Any vehicle displaying a slow-moving vehicle
13    emblem as provided in Section 12-205.1;
14        12. All trucks equipped with self-compactors or
15    roll-off hoists and roll-on containers for garbage,
16    recycling, or refuse hauling. Such lights shall not be
17    lighted except when such vehicles are actually being used
18    for such purposes;
19        13. Vehicles used by a security company, alarm
20    responder, control agency, or the Illinois Department of
21    Corrections;
22        14. Security vehicles of the Department of Human
23    Services; however, the lights shall not be lighted except
24    when being used for security related purposes under the
25    direction of the superintendent of the facility where the
26    vehicle is located; and

 

 

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1        15. Vehicles of union representatives, except that the
2    lights shall be lighted only while the vehicle is within
3    the limits of a construction project.
4    (c) The use of blue oscillating, rotating or flashing
5lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited except on:
6        1. Rescue squad vehicles not owned by a fire department
7    and vehicles owned or operated by a:
8            voluntary firefighter;
9            paid firefighter;
10            part-paid firefighter;
11            call firefighter;
12            member of the board of trustees of a fire
13        protection district;
14            paid or unpaid member of a rescue squad;
15            paid or unpaid member of a voluntary ambulance
16        unit; or
17            paid or unpaid members of a local or county
18        emergency management services agency as defined in the
19        Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, designated
20        or authorized by local authorities, in writing, and
21        carrying that designation or authorization in the
22        vehicle.
23        However, such lights are not to be lighted except when
24    responding to a bona fide emergency or when parked or
25    stationary at the scene of a fire, rescue call, ambulance
26    call, or motor vehicle accident.

 

 

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1        Any person using these lights in accordance with this
2    subdivision (c)1 must carry on his or her person an
3    identification card or letter identifying the bona fide
4    member of a fire department, fire protection district,
5    rescue squad, ambulance unit, or emergency management
6    services agency that owns or operates that vehicle. The
7    card or letter must include:
8            (A) the name of the fire department, fire
9        protection district, rescue squad, ambulance unit, or
10        emergency management services agency;
11            (B) the member's position within the fire
12        department, fire protection district, rescue squad,
13        ambulance unit, or emergency management services
14        agency;
15            (C) the member's term of service; and
16            (D) the name of a person within the fire
17        department, fire protection district, rescue squad,
18        ambulance unit, or emergency management services
19        agency to contact to verify the information provided.
20        2. Police department vehicles in cities having a
21    population of 500,000 or more inhabitants.
22        3. Law enforcement vehicles of State or local
23    authorities when used in combination with red oscillating,
24    rotating or flashing lights.
25        4. Vehicles of local fire departments and State or
26    federal firefighting vehicles when used in combination

 

 

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1    with red oscillating, rotating or flashing lights.
2        5. Vehicles which are designed and used exclusively as
3    ambulances or rescue vehicles when used in combination with
4    red oscillating, rotating or flashing lights; furthermore,
5    such lights shall not be lighted except when responding to
6    an emergency call.
7        6. Vehicles that are equipped and used exclusively as
8    organ transport vehicles when used in combination with red
9    oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights; furthermore,
10    these lights shall only be lighted when the transportation
11    is declared an emergency by a member of the transplant team
12    or a representative of the organ procurement organization.
13        7. Vehicles of the Illinois Emergency Management
14    Agency, vehicles of the Office of the Illinois State Fire
15    Marshal, vehicles of the Illinois Department of Public
16    Health, vehicles of the Illinois Department of
17    Corrections, and vehicles of the Illinois Department of
18    Juvenile Justice, when used in combination with red
19    oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights.
20        8. Vehicles operated by a local or county emergency
21    management services agency as defined in the Illinois
22    Emergency Management Agency Act, when used in combination
23    with red oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights.
24        9. Vehicles of the Illinois Department of Natural
25    Resources that are used for mine rescue and explosives
26    emergency response, when used in combination with red

 

 

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1    oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights.
2    (c-1) In addition to the blue oscillating, rotating, or
3flashing lights permitted under subsection (c), and
4notwithstanding subsection (a), a vehicle operated by a
5voluntary firefighter, a voluntary member of a rescue squad, or
6a member of a voluntary ambulance unit may be equipped with
7flashing white headlights and blue grill lights, which may be
8used only in responding to an emergency call or when parked or
9stationary at the scene of a fire, rescue call, ambulance call,
10or motor vehicle accident.
11    (c-2) In addition to the blue oscillating, rotating, or
12flashing lights permitted under subsection (c), and
13notwithstanding subsection (a), a vehicle operated by a paid or
14unpaid member of a local or county emergency management
15services agency as defined in the Illinois Emergency Management
16Agency Act, may be equipped with white oscillating, rotating,
17or flashing lights to be used in combination with blue
18oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights, if authorization by
19local authorities is in writing and carried in the vehicle.
20    (d) The use of a combination of amber and white
21oscillating, rotating or flashing lights, whether lighted or
22unlighted, is prohibited except on second division vehicles
23designed and used for towing or hoisting vehicles or motor
24vehicles or equipment of the State of Illinois, local
25authorities, contractors, and union representatives;
26furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted on second

 

 

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1division vehicles designed and used for towing or hoisting
2vehicles or vehicles of the State of Illinois, local
3authorities, and contractors except while such vehicles are
4engaged in a tow operation, highway maintenance, or
5construction operations within the limits of highway
6construction projects, and shall not be lighted on the vehicles
7of union representatives except when those vehicles are within
8the limits of a construction project.
9    (e) All oscillating, rotating or flashing lights referred
10to in this Section shall be of sufficient intensity, when
11illuminated, to be visible at 500 feet in normal sunlight.
12    (f) Nothing in this Section shall prohibit a manufacturer
13of oscillating, rotating or flashing lights or his
14representative or authorized vendor from temporarily mounting
15such lights on a vehicle for demonstration purposes only. If
16the lights are not covered while the vehicle is operated upon a
17highway, the vehicle shall display signage indicating that the
18vehicle is out of service or not an emergency vehicle. The
19signage shall be displayed on all sides of the vehicle in
20letters at least 2 inches tall and one-half inch wide. A
21vehicle authorized to have oscillating, rotating, or flashing
22lights mounted for demonstration purposes may not activate the
23lights while the vehicle is operated upon a highway.
24    (g) Any person violating the provisions of subsections (a),
25(b), (c) or (d) of this Section who without lawful authority
26stops or detains or attempts to stop or detain another person

 

 

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1shall be guilty of a Class 2 felony.
2    (h) Except as provided in subsection (g) above, any person
3violating the provisions of subsections (a) or (c) of this
4Section shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
5(Source: P.A. 97-39, eff. 1-1-12; 97-149, eff. 7-14-11; 97-813,
6eff. 7-13-12; 97-1173, eff. 1-1-14; 98-80, eff. 7-15-13;
798-123, eff. 1-1-14; 98-468, eff. 8-16-13; 98-756, eff.
87-16-14; 98-873, eff. 1-1-15; revised 10-6-14.)