BILL NUMBER: S214
SPONSOR: HELMING
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the display
of blue and green lights on certain motor vehicles
 
PURPOSE:
To allow emergency first responders to have more than one emergency
light in their civilian/private vehicles.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 375 of Vehicle and Traffic Law is amended to allow any motor
vehicle owned by a volunteer member of a fire department or motor vehi-
cle owned by a member of such person's family or business enterprise to
have more than one blue light displayed on the vehicle.
Section 375 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law is further amended to allow
any motor vehicle owned by a member of a volunteer ambulance service or
motor vehicle owned by a member of such person's family or business
enterprise to have more than one green light displayed on the vehicle.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Currently, volunteer fire department members and volunteer ambulance
service members are allowed to have only one emergency light per their
civilian/private vehicle. Oftentimes, in rural communities, the country
roads are not well lit at night. One emergency light per vehicle, which
is the current law, is not sufficient enough to let other drivers know a
vehicle is coming down the road. By increasing the allowance of emergen-
cy lights, other drivers will have more notice that an emergency vehicle
is approaching.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-2024: S.4523 referred to Transportation
2021-2022: S.2579 referred to Transportation/A.5416 held for consider-
ation in Transportation
2019-2020: S.164 referred to Transportation 2018: 5.7414 referred to
Transportation
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.