State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

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92_SB1657

 
                                              SRS92SB0053AKcp

 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 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
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;
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; and
30             6.  Vehicles of the  Illinois  Emergency  Management
31        Agency, and vehicles of the Department of Nuclear Safety.



 
                            -2-               SRS92SB0053AKcp
 1        (b)  The  use  of amber oscillating, rotating or flashing
 2    lights, whether lighted or unlighted,  is  prohibited  except
 3    on:
 4             1.  Second  division  vehicles designed and used for
 5        towing or hoisting  vehicles;  furthermore,  such  lights
 6        shall not be lighted except as required in this paragraph
 7        1;  such  lights  shall be lighted when such vehicles are
 8        actually being used  at  the  scene  of  an  accident  or
 9        disablement;  if  the  towing  vehicle is equipped with a
10        flat bed that supports all wheels of  the  vehicle  being
11        transported,  the  lights  shall not be lighted while the
12        vehicle is engaged in towing on a highway; if the  towing
13        vehicle is not equipped with a flat bed that supports all
14        wheels  of  a vehicle being transported, the lights shall
15        be lighted while the towing vehicle is engaged in  towing
16        on  a highway during all times when the use of headlights
17        is required under Section 12-201 of this Code;
18             2.  Motor vehicles or  equipment  of  the  State  of
19        Illinois, local authorities and contractors; furthermore,
20        such  lights  shall  not  be  lighted  except  while such
21        vehicles  are  engaged  in  maintenance  or  construction
22        operations within the limits of construction projects;
23             3.  Vehicles or equipment  used  by  engineering  or
24        survey  crews;  furthermore,  such  lights  shall  not be
25        lighted except while such vehicles are  actually  engaged
26        in work on a highway;
27             4.  Vehicles of public utilities, municipalities, or
28        other  construction,  maintenance  or  automotive service
29        vehicles except that such lights shall be lighted only as
30        a means  for  indicating  the  presence  of  a  vehicular
31        traffic  hazard  requiring  unusual  care in approaching,
32        overtaking or passing while such vehicles are engaged  in
33        maintenance, service or construction on a highway;
34             5.  Oversized  vehicle or load; however, such lights
 
                            -3-               SRS92SB0053AKcp
 1        shall only be lighted when moving under permit issued  by
 2        the Department under Section 15-301 of this Code;
 3             6.  The  front and rear of motorized equipment owned
 4        and operated by the State of Illinois  or  any  political
 5        subdivision  thereof,  which  is  designed  and  used for
 6        removal of snow and ice from highways;
 7             7.  Fleet  safety  vehicles  registered  in  another
 8        state, furthermore, such  lights  shall  not  be  lighted
 9        except as provided for in Section 12-212 of this Code;
10             8.  Such  other  vehicles  as  may  be authorized by
11        local authorities;
12             9.  Law  enforcement  vehicles  of  State  or  local
13        authorities   when   used   in   combination   with   red
14        oscillating, rotating or flashing lights;
15             10.  Vehicles used for collecting or delivering mail
16        for the United States Postal Service provided  that  such
17        lights shall not be lighted except when such vehicles are
18        actually being used for such purposes;
19             11.  Any  vehicle  displaying  a slow-moving vehicle
20        emblem as provided in Section 12-205.1;
21             12.  All trucks  equipped  with  self-compactors  or
22        roll-off  hoists  and  roll-on  containers for garbage or
23        refuse hauling.  Such lights shall not be lighted  except
24        when  such  vehicles  are  actually  being  used for such
25        purposes;
26             13.  Vehicles used  by  a  security  company,  alarm
27        responder,  or  control  agency, if the security company,
28        alarm responder, or control agency is bound by a contract
29        with a federal, State, or local government entity to  use
30        the lights; and
31             14.  Security  vehicles  of  the Department of Human
32        Services; however, the lights shall not be lighted except
33        when being used for security related purposes  under  the
34        direction of the superintendent of the facility where the
 
                            -4-               SRS92SB0053AKcp
 1        vehicle is located.
 2        (c)  The  use  of  blue oscillating, rotating or flashing
 3    lights, whether lighted or unlighted,  is  prohibited  except
 4    on:
 5             1.  Rescue  squad  vehicles  not  owned  by  a  fire
 6        department and vehicles owned or fully operated by a:
 7                  voluntary firefighter;
 8                  paid firefighter;
 9                  part-paid firefighter;
10                  call firefighter;
11                  member  of  the  board  of  trustees  of a fire
12             protection district;
13                  paid or unpaid member of a rescue squad; or
14                  paid or unpaid member of a voluntary  ambulance
15             unit.
16             However,  such  lights  are not to be lighted except
17        when responding to a bona fide emergency.
18             2.  Police department vehicles in  cities  having  a
19        population of 500,000 or more inhabitants.
20             3.  Law  enforcement  vehicles  of  State  or  local
21        authorities   when   used   in   combination   with   red
22        oscillating, rotating or flashing lights.
23             4.  Vehicles  of local fire departments and State or
24        federal firefighting vehicles when  used  in  combination
25        with red oscillating, rotating or flashing lights.
26             5.  Vehicles which are designed and used exclusively
27        as ambulances or rescue vehicles when used in combination
28        with   red  oscillating,  rotating  or  flashing  lights;
29        furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted except when
30        responding to an emergency call.
31             6.  Vehicles that are equipped and used  exclusively
32        as organ transport vehicles when used in combination with
33        red    oscillating,   rotating,   or   flashing   lights;
34        furthermore, these lights shall only be lighted when  the
 
                            -5-               SRS92SB0053AKcp
 1        transportation  is  declared  an emergency by a member of
 2        the transplant team or  a  representative  of  the  organ
 3        procurement organization.
 4             7.  Vehicles  of  the  Illinois Emergency Management
 5        Agency and vehicles of the Department of Nuclear  Safety,
 6        when  used in combination with red oscillating, rotating,
 7        or flashing lights.
 8        (c-1)  In addition to the blue oscillating, rotating,  or
 9    flashing   lights   permitted   under   subsection  (c),  and
10    notwithstanding subsection  (a),  a  vehicle  operated  by  a
11    voluntary  firefighter, a voluntary member of a rescue squad,
12    or a member of a voluntary ambulance  unit  may  be  equipped
13    with  flashing  white headlights and blue grill lights, which
14    may be used only in responding to an emergency call.
15        (d)  The  use  of  a  combination  of  amber  and   white
16    oscillating,  rotating or flashing lights, whether lighted or
17    unlighted, is prohibited, except motor vehicles or  equipment
18    of  the  State of Illinois, local authorities and contractors
19    may be so equipped; furthermore, such  lights  shall  not  be
20    lighted  except  while  such  vehicles are engaged in highway
21    maintenance or construction operations within the  limits  of
22    highway construction projects.
23        (e)  All   oscillating,   rotating   or  flashing  lights
24    referred to in this Section shall be of sufficient intensity,
25    when illuminated,  to  be  visible  at  500  feet  in  normal
26    sunlight.
27        (f)  Nothing   in   this   Section   shall   prohibit   a
28    manufacturer  of  oscillating, rotating or flashing lights or
29    his representative from temporarily mounting such lights on a
30    vehicle for demonstration purposes only.
31        (g)  Any person violating the provisions  of  subsections
32    (a),  (b),  (c)  or  (d)  of  this Section who without lawful
33    authority stops or detains or  attempts  to  stop  or  detain
34    another person shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony.
 
                            -6-               SRS92SB0053AKcp
 1        (h)  Except  as  provided  in  subsection  (g) above, any
 2    person violating the provisions of subsections (a) or (c)  of
 3    this Section shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
 4    (Source:  P.A.  91-357,  eff.  7-29-99; 92-138, eff. 7-24-01;
 5    92-407, eff. 8-17-01; revised 9-12-01)

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