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Public Act 92-0407
HB0161 Enrolled LRB9201494DHmg
AN ACT in relation to vehicles.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by
changing Section 12-215 as follows:
(625 ILCS 5/12-215) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 12-215)
Sec. 12-215. Oscillating, rotating or flashing lights on
motor vehicles. Except as otherwise provided in this Code:
(a) The use of red or white oscillating, rotating or
flashing lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited
except on:
1. Law enforcement vehicles of State, Federal or
local authorities;
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;
3. Vehicles of local fire departments and State or
federal firefighting vehicles;
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; and
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.
(b) The use of amber oscillating, rotating or flashing
lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited except
on:
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
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
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;
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;
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;
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 or passing while such vehicles are engaged in
maintenance, service or construction on a highway;
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;
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;
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;
8. Such other vehicles as may be authorized by
local authorities;
9. Law enforcement vehicles of State or local
authorities when used in combination with red
oscillating, rotating or flashing lights;
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;
11. Any vehicle displaying a slow-moving vehicle
emblem as provided in Section 12-205.1;
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;
13. Vehicles used by a security company, alarm
responder, or control agency, if the security company,
alarm responder, or control agency is bound by a contract
with a federal, State, or local government entity to use
the lights; and
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
vehicle is located.
(c) The use of blue oscillating, rotating or flashing
lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited except
on:
1. Rescue squad vehicles not owned by a fire
department and vehicles owned or fully operated by a:
voluntary firefighter;
paid firefighter;
part-paid firefighter;
call firefighter;
member of the board of trustees of a fire
protection district;
paid or unpaid member of a rescue squad; or
paid or unpaid member of a voluntary ambulance
unit.
However, such lights are not to be lighted except
when responding to a bona fide emergency.
2. Police department vehicles in cities having a
population of 500,000 or more inhabitants.
3. Law enforcement vehicles of State or local
authorities when used in combination with red
oscillating, rotating or flashing lights.
4. Vehicles of local fire departments and State or
federal firefighting vehicles when used in combination
with red oscillating, rotating or flashing lights.
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.
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 is declared an emergency by a member of
the transplant team or a representative of the organ
procurement organization.
(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 may be equipped with flashing white
headlights and blue grill lights, which may be used only in
responding to an emergency call.
(d) The use of a combination of amber and white
oscillating, rotating or flashing lights, whether lighted or
unlighted, is prohibited, except motor vehicles or equipment
of the State of Illinois, local authorities and contractors
may be so equipped; furthermore, such lights shall not be
lighted except while such vehicles are engaged in highway
maintenance or construction operations within the limits of
highway construction projects.
(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.
(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.
(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 4 felony.
(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.
(Source: P.A. 90-330, eff. 8-8-97; 90-347, eff. 1-1-98;
90-655, eff. 7-30-98; 91-357, eff. 7-29-99.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.
Passed in the General Assembly May 23, 2001.
Approved August 17, 2001.
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