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Public Act 098-0080 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning transportation.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | ||||
represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by changing | ||||
Section 12-215 as follows:
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(625 ILCS 5/12-215) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-215)
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Sec. 12-215. Oscillating, rotating or flashing lights on | ||||
motor vehicles. Except as otherwise provided in this Code:
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(a) The use of red or white oscillating, rotating or | ||||
flashing lights,
whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited | ||||
except on:
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1. Law enforcement vehicles of State, Federal or
local | ||||
authorities;
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2. A vehicle operated by a police officer or county | ||||
coroner
and designated or authorized by local authorities, | ||||
in writing, as a law
enforcement vehicle; however, such | ||||
designation or authorization must
be carried in the | ||||
vehicle;
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2.1. A vehicle operated by a fire chief who has | ||||
completed an emergency vehicle operation training course | ||||
approved by the Office of the State Fire Marshal and | ||||
designated or authorized by local authorities, in writing, | ||||
as a fire department, fire protection district, or township |
fire department vehicle; however, the designation or | ||
authorization must
be carried in the vehicle, and the | ||
lights may be visible or activated only when responding to | ||
a bona fide emergency;
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3. Vehicles of local fire departments and State or | ||
federal
firefighting vehicles;
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4. Vehicles which are designed and used exclusively as | ||
ambulances
or rescue vehicles; furthermore, such lights | ||
shall not be lighted except
when responding to an emergency | ||
call for and while actually conveying the
sick or injured;
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5. Tow trucks licensed in a state that requires such | ||
lights;
furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted on | ||
any such tow truck while the
tow truck is
operating in the | ||
State of Illinois;
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6. Vehicles of the Illinois Emergency Management | ||
Agency, vehicles of the Office of the Illinois State Fire | ||
Marshal, vehicles of the Illinois Department of Public | ||
Health, and vehicles of
the
Department of Nuclear Safety;
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7. Vehicles operated by a local or county emergency | ||
management
services agency as defined in the Illinois | ||
Emergency
Management Agency Act;
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8. School buses operating alternately flashing head | ||
lamps as permitted
under Section 12-805 of this Code;
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9. Vehicles that are equipped and used exclusively as | ||
organ transplant
vehicles when used in combination with | ||
blue oscillating, rotating, or flashing
lights; |
furthermore, these lights shall be lighted only when the | ||
transportation
is declared an emergency by a member of the | ||
transplant team or a representative
of the organ | ||
procurement organization; and | ||
10. Vehicles of the Illinois Department of Natural | ||
Resources that are used for mine rescue and explosives | ||
emergency response. | ||
(b) The use of amber oscillating, rotating or flashing | ||
lights, whether
lighted or unlighted, is prohibited except on:
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1. Second division vehicles designed and used for | ||
towing or hoisting
vehicles; furthermore, such lights | ||
shall not be lighted except as
required in
this paragraph | ||
1; such lights shall be lighted
when such vehicles are | ||
actually being
used at the scene of an accident or
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disablement; if the towing vehicle is equipped with a flat | ||
bed that
supports all wheels of the vehicle being | ||
transported, the lights shall not be
lighted while the | ||
vehicle is engaged in towing on a highway; if the towing
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vehicle is not equipped with a flat bed that supports all | ||
wheels of a vehicle
being transported, the lights shall be | ||
lighted while the
towing
vehicle is engaged in towing on a | ||
highway during all
times when the use
of headlights is | ||
required under Section 12-201 of this Code; in addition, | ||
these vehicles may use white oscillating, rotating, or | ||
flashing lights in combination with amber oscillating, | ||
rotating, or flashing lights as provided in this paragraph;
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2. Motor vehicles or equipment of the State of | ||
Illinois, local authorities
and contractors; furthermore, | ||
such lights shall not be lighted except while
such vehicles | ||
are engaged in maintenance or construction operations | ||
within
the limits of construction projects;
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3. Vehicles or equipment used by engineering or survey | ||
crews;
furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted except | ||
while such vehicles
are actually engaged in work on a | ||
highway;
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4. Vehicles of public utilities, municipalities, or | ||
other
construction, maintenance or automotive service | ||
vehicles except that such
lights shall be lighted only as a | ||
means for indicating the presence of a
vehicular traffic | ||
hazard requiring unusual care in approaching, overtaking
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or passing while such vehicles are engaged in maintenance, | ||
service or
construction on a highway;
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5. Oversized vehicle or load; however, such lights | ||
shall only be lighted
when moving under permit issued by | ||
the Department under Section 15-301
of this Code;
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6. The front and rear of motorized equipment owned and | ||
operated by the
State of Illinois or any political | ||
subdivision thereof, which is designed
and used for removal | ||
of snow and ice from highways;
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(6.1) The front and rear of motorized equipment or | ||
vehicles that (i) are not owned by the State of Illinois or | ||
any political subdivision of the State, (ii) are designed |
and used for removal of snow and ice from highways and | ||
parking lots, and (iii) are equipped with a snow plow that | ||
is 12 feet in width; these lights may not be lighted except | ||
when the motorized equipment or vehicle is actually being | ||
used for those purposes on behalf of a unit of government;
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7. Fleet safety vehicles registered in another state, | ||
furthermore, such
lights shall not be lighted except as | ||
provided for in Section 12-212 of
this Code;
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8. Such other vehicles as may be authorized by local | ||
authorities;
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9. Law enforcement vehicles of State or local | ||
authorities when used in
combination with red oscillating, | ||
rotating or flashing lights;
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9.5. Propane delivery trucks;
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10. Vehicles used for collecting or delivering mail for | ||
the
United States Postal Service provided that such lights | ||
shall not be lighted
except when such vehicles are actually | ||
being used for such purposes;
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10.5. Vehicles of the Office of the Illinois State Fire | ||
Marshal, provided that such lights shall not be lighted | ||
except for when such vehicles are engaged in work for the | ||
Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal;
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11. Any vehicle displaying a slow-moving vehicle | ||
emblem as
provided in Section 12-205.1;
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12. All trucks equipped with self-compactors or | ||
roll-off hoists and
roll-on containers for garbage or |
refuse hauling. Such lights shall not be
lighted except | ||
when such vehicles are actually being used for such | ||
purposes;
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13. Vehicles used by a security company, alarm | ||
responder, or control
agency;
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14. Security vehicles of the Department of Human | ||
Services; however, the
lights shall not be lighted except | ||
when being used for security related
purposes under the | ||
direction of the superintendent of the facility where the
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vehicle is located; and
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15. Vehicles of union representatives, except that the | ||
lights shall be
lighted only while the vehicle is within | ||
the limits of a construction
project.
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(c) The use of blue oscillating, rotating or flashing | ||
lights, whether
lighted or unlighted, is prohibited except on:
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1. Rescue squad vehicles not owned by a fire department | ||
and
vehicles owned or operated by a:
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voluntary firefighter;
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paid firefighter;
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part-paid firefighter;
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call firefighter;
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member of the board of trustees of a fire | ||
protection district;
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paid or unpaid member of a rescue squad;
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paid or unpaid member of a voluntary ambulance | ||
unit; or
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paid or unpaid members of a local or county | ||
emergency management
services agency as defined in the | ||
Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act,
designated | ||
or authorized by local authorities, in writing, and | ||
carrying that
designation or authorization in the | ||
vehicle.
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However, such lights are not to be lighted except when | ||
responding to a
bona fide emergency or when parked or | ||
stationary at the scene of a fire, rescue call, ambulance | ||
call, or motor vehicle accident.
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Any person using these lights in accordance with this | ||
subdivision (c)1 must carry on his or her person an | ||
identification card or letter identifying the bona fide | ||
member of a fire department, fire protection district, | ||
rescue squad, ambulance unit, or emergency management | ||
services agency that owns or operates that vehicle. The | ||
card or letter must include: | ||
(A) the name of the fire department, fire | ||
protection district, rescue squad, ambulance unit, or | ||
emergency management services agency; | ||
(B) the member's position within the fire | ||
department, fire protection district, rescue squad, | ||
ambulance unit, or emergency management services | ||
agency; | ||
(C) the member's term of service; and | ||
(D) the name of a person within the fire |
department, fire protection district, rescue squad, | ||
ambulance unit, or emergency management services | ||
agency to contact to verify the information provided.
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2. Police department vehicles in cities having a | ||
population of 500,000
or more inhabitants.
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3. Law enforcement vehicles of State or local | ||
authorities when used in
combination with red oscillating, | ||
rotating or flashing lights.
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4. Vehicles of local fire departments and State or | ||
federal
firefighting vehicles when used in combination | ||
with red oscillating,
rotating or flashing lights.
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5. Vehicles which are designed and used exclusively as | ||
ambulances or
rescue vehicles when used in combination with | ||
red oscillating, rotating or
flashing lights; furthermore, | ||
such lights shall not be lighted except when
responding to | ||
an emergency call.
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6. Vehicles that are equipped and used exclusively as | ||
organ transport
vehicles when used in combination with red | ||
oscillating, rotating, or flashing
lights; furthermore, | ||
these lights shall only be lighted when the transportation
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is declared an emergency by a member of the transplant team | ||
or a
representative of the organ procurement organization.
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7. Vehicles of the Illinois Emergency Management | ||
Agency, vehicles of the Office of the Illinois State Fire | ||
Marshal, vehicles of the Illinois Department of Public | ||
Health, and vehicles of
the
Department of Nuclear Safety, |
when used in combination with red oscillating,
rotating, or | ||
flashing lights.
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8. Vehicles operated by a local or county emergency | ||
management
services agency as defined in the Illinois | ||
Emergency Management Agency
Act, when used in combination | ||
with red oscillating, rotating, or
flashing lights.
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9. Vehicles of the Illinois Department of Natural | ||
Resources that are used for mine rescue and explosives | ||
emergency response, when used in combination with red | ||
oscillating,
rotating, or flashing lights. | ||
(c-1) In addition to the blue oscillating, rotating, or | ||
flashing
lights permitted under subsection (c), and | ||
notwithstanding subsection
(a), a vehicle operated by a | ||
voluntary firefighter, a voluntary member
of a rescue squad, or | ||
a member of a voluntary ambulance unit may be
equipped with | ||
flashing white headlights and blue grill lights, which may
be | ||
used only in responding to an emergency call or when parked or | ||
stationary at the scene of a fire, rescue call, ambulance call, | ||
or motor vehicle accident.
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(c-2) In addition to the blue oscillating, rotating, or | ||
flashing
lights permitted under subsection (c), and | ||
notwithstanding subsection (a),
a vehicle operated by a paid or | ||
unpaid member of a local or county
emergency management | ||
services agency as defined in the Illinois Emergency
Management | ||
Agency Act, may be equipped with white oscillating, rotating,
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or flashing lights to be used in combination with blue |
oscillating, rotating,
or flashing lights, if authorization by | ||
local authorities is in
writing and carried in the vehicle.
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(d) The use of a combination of amber and white | ||
oscillating, rotating or
flashing lights, whether lighted or | ||
unlighted, is prohibited except on second division vehicles | ||
designed and used for towing or hoisting
vehicles or motor
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vehicles or equipment of the State of Illinois, local | ||
authorities, contractors, and union representatives may be so | ||
equipped ; furthermore, such lights shall
not be lighted on | ||
second division vehicles designed and used for towing or | ||
hoisting
vehicles or vehicles of the State of Illinois, local | ||
authorities, and
contractors except while such vehicles are | ||
engaged in a tow operation, highway maintenance , or
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construction operations within the limits of highway | ||
construction projects, and
shall not be lighted on the vehicles | ||
of union representatives except when those
vehicles are within | ||
the limits of a construction project.
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(e) All oscillating, rotating or flashing lights referred | ||
to in this Section
shall be of sufficient intensity, when | ||
illuminated, to be visible at 500
feet in normal sunlight.
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(f) Nothing in this Section shall prohibit a manufacturer | ||
of oscillating,
rotating or flashing lights or his | ||
representative from temporarily mounting
such lights on a | ||
vehicle for demonstration purposes only.
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(g) Any person violating the provisions of subsections (a), | ||
(b), (c) or (d)
of this Section who without lawful authority |
stops or detains or attempts
to stop or detain another person | ||
shall be guilty of a Class 2 felony.
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(h) Except as provided in subsection (g) above, any person | ||
violating the
provisions of subsections (a) or (c) of this | ||
Section shall be guilty of a
Class A misdemeanor.
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(Source: P.A. 96-214, eff. 8-10-09; 96-1190, eff. 7-22-10; | ||
97-39, eff. 1-1-12; 97-149, eff. 7-14-11; 97-813, eff. | ||
7-13-12.)
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law. |