Chapter
436
2003 -- H 5299
Enacted 08/06/03
A N A C T
RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES --
FUNERAL PROCESSIONS
Introduced By:
Representatives Coogan, Winfield, Ajello, Rose, and Slater
Date
Introduced: January 29, 2003
It is enacted by the General
Assembly as follows:
SECTION
1. Sections 31-24-31 and 31-24-49 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-24
entitled "Lighting Equipment
and Reflectors" are hereby amended to read as follows:
31-24-31.
Flashing lights -- Forward viewing or rotary beam lights. -- (a)
Flashing
lights are prohibited, except on an
authorized emergency vehicle, school bus, snow removal
equipment, or on any vehicle as a
means for indicating a right or left turn. However, the
requirements of section 31-24-33
shall be deemed to be satisfied if the vehicle is equipped with
lamps at the front mounted at the
same level, displaying simultaneously flashing white or amber
lights, and at the rear mounted at
the same level, and displaying simultaneously flashing red
lights, all of which lights shall
be visible from a distance of not less than five hundred feet (500').
(b)
Forward viewing or rotating beam lights may be installed on and shall be
restricted to
the following categories of emergency
vehicles, and these lights shall be of color designated:
(1)
Emergency response vehicles of any fire, rescue, or ambulance department, fire
chiefs, assistant fire chiefs,
deputy chiefs, captains; any privately owned vehicle of any authorized
volunteer member of a fire, rescue,
or ambulance department; emergency management agency
directors, assistant directors,
assistant medical examiners and/or forensic pathologists of the
office of state medical examiners; rescue
vehicles, emergency response vehicles of the
department of environmental
management and the division of state fire marshal; school buses;
and two (2) American Red Cross
disaster vehicles: Red, white and/or alternating flashing white;
(2)
Wrecker trucks, service station trucks, state and town safety and maintenance
vehicles; snowplows and tractors;
light company trucks, telephone company trucks, water
company trucks, oil company trucks,
and other utilities' trucks; vehicles of television, radio and
press photographers; rural mail
carriers; all motor-propelled vehicles owned by the Northern
Rhode Island REACT (radio emergency
associated citizens team); and all motor-propelled
vehicles owned by or under contract
to the Rhode Island department of transportation when on
official state business; and
vehicles marking the beginning and end of funeral processions:
Amber;
(3)
Police units, state and local: Center rotating beam lights: Blue or red;
Outboard
mounted lights: Blue or red.
(4)
Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in section
31-41.1-4.
31-24-49.
Approval of lighting equipment required. – (a) No person shall
have for
sale, sell, or offer for sale for
use upon or as a part of the equipment of a motor vehicle, trailer, or
semi-trailer or use upon any such
vehicle any head lamp, auxiliary or fog lamp, rear lamp, signal
lamp, or reflector which reflector
is required by this chapter or parts of any of these which tend to
change the original design or performance,
unless of a type which has been submitted to and
approved by the administrator of
the division of motor vehicles. Violations of this section are
subject to fines enumerated in
section 31-41.1-4.
(b)
The administrator shall approve a flashing amber light configuration for use in
funeral
processions.
SECTION
2. Section 31-27-16 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-27 entitled "Motor
Vehicle Offenses" is hereby
amended to read as follows:
31-27-16.
Funeral processions. -- (a) Any person who operates a motor vehicle on
any
of the highways of this state in
such manner as to willfully interject a funeral cortege shall be
guilty of a civil violation.
(b)
For the purpose of this section, "funeral cortege" is defined as a procession
of motor
vehicles clearly identified by
operating headlights, flashing amber lights, signs, flags, or other
identifying devices, as
participating in a funeral.
SECTION
3. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC00619
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