S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                 5593--A

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              May 20, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced by Sen. AUBERTINE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed  to  be committed to the Committee on Transportation -- recom-
  mitted to the Committee on Transportation in  accordance  with  Senate
  Rule 6, sec. 8 -- reported favorably from said committee and committed
  to  the  Committee  on  Codes  --  committee discharged, bill amended,
  ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law,  in  relation  to  allowing
  fire  vehicles  to  display  a  combination  of red, white and/or blue
  lights for rear projection only

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1. Subdivision (e) of section 1180 of the vehicle and traffic
law, as amended by chapter 211 of the laws of 2004, is amended  to  read
as follows:
  (e)  The  driver  of every vehicle shall, consistent with the require-
ments of subdivision (a)  of  this  section,  drive  at  an  appropriate
reduced  speed  when approaching and crossing an intersection or railway
grade  crossing,  when  approaching  and  going  around  a  curve,  when
approaching  a  hill crest, when approaching and passing by an emergency
situation involving any authorized emergency vehicle  which  is  parked,
stopped or standing on a highway and which is displaying one or more red
or  combination  red  [and],  white,  AND/OR BLUE lights pursuant to the
provisions of paragraph two AND SUBPARAGRAPH  B  OF  PARAGRAPH  FOUR  of
subdivision  forty-one  of  section  three  hundred seventy-five of this
chapter, when traveling upon any narrow or winding roadway, and when any
special hazard exists with respect to pedestrians, or other  traffic  by
reason of weather or highway conditions, including, but not limited to a
highway construction or maintenance work area.
  S  2.  Paragraph 4 of subdivision 41 of section 375 of the vehicle and
traffic law, as amended by chapter 45 of the laws of 2006, is amended to
read as follows:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD11327-04-0
              

S. 5593--A                          2

  4. Blue light. a. One blue light may be affixed to any  motor  vehicle
owned  by  a volunteer member of a fire department or on a motor vehicle
owned by a member of such person's family residing in the same household
or by a business enterprise in  which  such  person  has  a  proprietary
interest  or  by  which  he  or she is employed, provided such volunteer
firefighter has been authorized in writing to so affix a blue  light  by
the  chief  of  the  fire  department or company of which he or she is a
member, which authorization shall be subject to revocation at  any  time
by the chief who issued the same or his or her successor in office. Such
blue light may be displayed exclusively by such volunteer firefighter on
such  a vehicle only when engaged in an emergency operation. The [use of
blue and red light combinations shall be prohibited on  all  fire  vehi-
cles.    The use of blue lights on fire vehicles shall be prohibited and
the] use of blue lights on vehicles shall be restricted for use only  by
a volunteer firefighter except as otherwise provided for in subparagraph
b of this paragraph.
  b.  In addition to the red and white lights authorized to be displayed
pursuant to paragraph two of this subdivision, one or more  blue  lights
or  combination  blue  and red lights or combination blue, red and white
lights may be affixed to a police VEHICLE  AND  FIRE  vehicle,  provided
that  such  blue  light or lights shall be displayed on a police VEHICLE
AND FIRE vehicle for rear projection only. In the event that  the  trunk
or  rear  gate  of a police VEHICLE AND FIRE vehicle obstructs or dimin-
ishes the visibility of other emergency lighting on such [vehicle] VEHI-
CLES, a blue light may be affixed to and displayed from the trunk,  rear
gate  or  interior  of  such  [vehicle]  VEHICLES.  Such  lights  may be
displayed on a police VEHICLE AND FIRE vehicle when  such  [vehicle  is]
VEHICLES  ARE  engaged  in  an emergency operation. Nothing contained in
this subparagraph shall be deemed to authorize the use of blue lights on
police VEHICLES AND FIRE vehicles unless such vehicles also display  one
or  more red or combination red and white lights as otherwise authorized
in this subdivision.
  c. The commissioner is authorized to promulgate rules and  regulations
relating  to  the  use, placement, power and display of blue lights on a
police VEHICLE AND FIRE vehicle.
  S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.