SB2894 Enrolled LRB093 15992 DRH 41616 b

1     AN ACT concerning 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 changing
5 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 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         3. Vehicles of local fire departments and State or
20     federal firefighting vehicles;
21         4. Vehicles which are designed and used exclusively as
22     ambulances or rescue vehicles; furthermore, such lights
23     shall not be lighted except when responding to an emergency
24     call for and while actually conveying the sick or injured;
25         5. Tow trucks licensed in a state that requires such
26     lights; furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted on
27     any such tow truck while the tow truck is operating in the
28     State of Illinois;
29         6. Vehicles of the Illinois Emergency Management
30     Agency, and vehicles of the Department of Nuclear Safety;
31         7. Vehicles operated by a local or county emergency
32     management services agency as defined in the Illinois

 

 

SB2894 Enrolled - 2 - LRB093 15992 DRH 41616 b

1     Emergency Management Agency Act; and
2         8. School buses operating alternately flashing head
3     lamps as permitted under Section 12-805 of this Code.
4     (b) The use of amber oscillating, rotating or flashing
5 lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited except on:
6         1. Second division vehicles designed and used for
7     towing or hoisting vehicles; furthermore, such lights
8     shall not be lighted except as required in this paragraph
9     1; such lights shall be lighted when such vehicles are
10     actually being used at the scene of an accident or
11     disablement; if the towing vehicle is equipped with a flat
12     bed that supports all wheels of the vehicle being
13     transported, the lights shall not be lighted while the
14     vehicle is engaged in towing on a highway; if the towing
15     vehicle is not equipped with a flat bed that supports all
16     wheels of a vehicle being transported, the lights shall be
17     lighted while the towing vehicle is engaged in towing on a
18     highway during all times when the use of headlights is
19     required under Section 12-201 of this Code;
20         2. Motor vehicles or equipment of the State of
21     Illinois, local authorities and contractors; furthermore,
22     such lights shall not be lighted except while such vehicles
23     are engaged in maintenance or construction operations
24     within the limits of construction projects;
25         3. Vehicles or equipment used by engineering or survey
26     crews; furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted except
27     while such vehicles are actually engaged in work on a
28     highway;
29         4. Vehicles of public utilities, municipalities, or
30     other construction, maintenance or automotive service
31     vehicles except that such lights shall be lighted only as a
32     means for indicating the presence of a vehicular traffic
33     hazard requiring unusual care in approaching, overtaking
34     or passing while such vehicles are engaged in maintenance,
35     service or construction on a highway;
36         5. Oversized vehicle or load; however, such lights

 

 

SB2894 Enrolled - 3 - LRB093 15992 DRH 41616 b

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 and
4     operated by the State of Illinois or any political
5     subdivision thereof, which is designed and used for removal
6     of snow and ice from highways;
7         7. Fleet safety vehicles registered in another state,
8     furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted except as
9     provided for in Section 12-212 of this Code;
10         8. Such other vehicles as may be authorized by local
11     authorities;
12         9. Law enforcement vehicles of State or local
13     authorities when used in combination with red oscillating,
14     rotating or flashing lights;
15         9.5. Propane delivery trucks;
16         10. Vehicles used for collecting or delivering mail for
17     the United States Postal Service provided that such lights
18     shall not be lighted except when such vehicles are actually
19     being used for such purposes;
20         11. Any vehicle displaying a slow-moving vehicle
21     emblem as provided in Section 12-205.1;
22         12. All trucks equipped with self-compactors or
23     roll-off hoists and roll-on containers for garbage or
24     refuse hauling. Such lights shall not be lighted except
25     when such vehicles are actually being used for such
26     purposes;
27         13. Vehicles used by a security company, alarm
28     responder, or control agency;
29         14. Security vehicles of the Department of Human
30     Services; however, the lights shall not be lighted except
31     when being used for security related purposes under the
32     direction of the superintendent of the facility where the
33     vehicle is located; and
34         15. Vehicles of union representatives, except that the
35     lights shall be lighted only while the vehicle is within
36     the limits of a construction project.

 

 

SB2894 Enrolled - 4 - LRB093 15992 DRH 41616 b

1     (c) The use of blue oscillating, rotating or flashing
2 lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited except on:
3         1. Rescue squad vehicles not owned by a fire department
4     and vehicles owned or fully operated by a:
5             voluntary firefighter;
6             paid firefighter;
7             part-paid firefighter;
8             call firefighter;
9             member of the board of trustees of a fire
10         protection district;
11             paid or unpaid member of a rescue squad;
12             paid or unpaid member of a voluntary ambulance
13         unit; or
14             paid or unpaid members of a local or county
15         emergency management services agency as defined in the
16         Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, designated
17         or authorized by local authorities, in writing, and
18         carrying that designation or authorization in the
19         vehicle.
20         However, such lights are not to be lighted except when
21     responding to a bona fide emergency.
22         Any person using these lights in accordance with this
23     subdivision (c)1 must carry on his or her person an
24     identification card or letter identifying him or her as a
25     member of a bona fide fire department, fire protection
26     district, rescue squad, ambulance unit, or emergency
27     management services agency. The card or letter must
28     include:
29             (A) the name of the fire department, fire
30         protection district, rescue squad, ambulance unit, or
31         emergency management services agency;
32             (B) the member's position within the fire
33         department, fire protection district, rescue squad,
34         ambulance unit, or emergency management services
35         agency;
36             (C) the member's term of service; and

 

 

SB2894 Enrolled - 5 - LRB093 15992 DRH 41616 b

1             (D) the name of a person within the fire
2         department, fire protection district, rescue squad,
3         ambulance unit, or emergency management services
4         agency to contact to verify the information provided.
5         2. Police department vehicles in cities having a
6     population of 500,000 or more inhabitants.
7         3. Law enforcement vehicles of State or local
8     authorities when used in combination with red oscillating,
9     rotating or flashing lights.
10         4. Vehicles of local fire departments and State or
11     federal firefighting vehicles when used in combination
12     with red oscillating, rotating or flashing lights.
13         5. Vehicles which are designed and used exclusively as
14     ambulances or rescue vehicles when used in combination with
15     red oscillating, rotating or flashing lights; furthermore,
16     such lights shall not be lighted except when responding to
17     an emergency call.
18         6. Vehicles that are equipped and used exclusively as
19     organ transport vehicles when used in combination with red
20     oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights; furthermore,
21     these lights shall only be lighted when the transportation
22     is declared an emergency by a member of the transplant team
23     or a representative of the organ procurement organization.
24         7. Vehicles of the Illinois Emergency Management
25     Agency and vehicles of the Department of Nuclear Safety,
26     when used in combination with red oscillating, rotating, or
27     flashing lights.
28         8. Vehicles operated by a local or county emergency
29     management services agency as defined in the Illinois
30     Emergency Management Agency Act, when used in combination
31     with red oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights.
32     (c-1) In addition to the blue oscillating, rotating, or
33 flashing lights permitted under subsection (c), and
34 notwithstanding subsection (a), a vehicle operated by a
35 voluntary firefighter, a voluntary member of a rescue squad, or
36 a member of a voluntary ambulance unit may be equipped with

 

 

SB2894 Enrolled - 6 - LRB093 15992 DRH 41616 b

1 flashing white headlights and blue grill lights, which may be
2 used only in responding to an emergency call.
3     (c-2) In addition to the blue oscillating, rotating, or
4 flashing lights permitted under subsection (c), and
5 notwithstanding subsection (a), a vehicle operated by a paid or
6 unpaid member of a local or county emergency management
7 services agency as defined in the Illinois Emergency Management
8 Agency Act, may be equipped with white oscillating, rotating,
9 or flashing lights to be used in combination with blue
10 oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights, if authorization by
11 local authorities is in writing and carried in the vehicle.
12     (d) The use of a combination of amber and white
13 oscillating, rotating or flashing lights, whether lighted or
14 unlighted, is prohibited except motor vehicles or equipment of
15 the State of Illinois, local authorities, contractors, and
16 union representatives may be so equipped; furthermore, such
17 lights shall not be lighted on vehicles of the State of
18 Illinois, local authorities, and contractors except while such
19 vehicles are engaged in highway maintenance or construction
20 operations within the limits of highway construction projects,
21 and shall not be lighted on the vehicles of union
22 representatives except when those vehicles are within the
23 limits of a construction project.
24     (e) All oscillating, rotating or flashing lights referred
25 to in this Section shall be of sufficient intensity, when
26 illuminated, to be visible at 500 feet in normal sunlight.
27     (f) Nothing in this Section shall prohibit a manufacturer
28 of oscillating, rotating or flashing lights or his
29 representative from temporarily mounting such lights on a
30 vehicle for demonstration purposes only.
31     (g) Any person violating the provisions of subsections (a),
32 (b), (c) or (d) of this Section who without lawful authority
33 stops or detains or attempts to stop or detain another person
34 shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony.
35     (h) Except as provided in subsection (g) above, any person
36 violating the provisions of subsections (a) or (c) of this

 

 

SB2894 Enrolled - 7 - LRB093 15992 DRH 41616 b

1 Section shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
2 (Source: P.A. 92-138, eff. 7-24-01; 92-407, eff. 8-17-01;
3 92-651, eff. 7-11-02; 92-782, eff. 8-6-02; 92-820, eff.
4 8-21-02; 92-872, eff. 6-1-03; 93-181, eff. 1-1-04.)