An Act To Allow Animal Control Officers and Individuals Who Collect Trash To Use Flashing Amber Lights on Their Vehicles
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §2054, sub-§2, ¶C, as amended by PL 2003, c. 209, §1, is further amended to read:
C. The use of amber lights on vehicles is governed by the following.
(1) A vehicle engaged in highway maintenance or in emergency rescue operations by civil defense and public safety agencies and a public utility emergency service vehicle may be equipped with auxiliary lights that emit an amber light.
(2) A wrecker must be equipped with a flashing light mounted on top of the vehicle in such a manner as to emit an amber light over a 360` angle. The light must be in use on a public way or a place where public traffic may reasonably be anticipated when servicing, freeing, loading, unloading or towing a vehicle.
(3) A vehicle engaged in snow removal or sanding operations on a public way must be equipped with and display at least 2 auxiliary lights mounted on the highest practical point on the vehicle and provide visible light coverage over a 360` range. The lights must emit an amber beam of light, be at least 6 inches in diameter and be equipped with blinking attachments. In lieu of the lights specified, a vehicle may be equipped with at least one auxiliary rotating flashing light having 4-inch sealed beams and showing amber beams of light over a 360` range or an amber strobe, or combination of strobes, that emits at a minimum a beam of 1,000,000 candlepower and provides visible light coverage over a 360` range. When the left wing of a plow is in operation and extends over the center of the road, an auxiliary light must show the extreme end of the left wing. That light may be attached to the vehicle so that the beam of light points at the left wing. The light illuminating the left wing may be controlled by a separate switch or by the regular lighting system and must be in operation at all times when the vehicle is used for plowing snow on public ways.
(4) A vehicle equipped and used for plowing snow on other than public ways may be equipped with an auxiliary rotary flashing light that must be mounted on top of the vehicle in such a manner as to emit an amber beam of light over a 360` angle, or an amber strobe, or combination of strobes, that emits at a minimum a beam of 50 candlepower and provides visible light coverage over a 360` range. However, the vehicle must be equipped with and must use such a light whenever the vehicle enters a public way while in the course of plowing private driveways and other off-highway locations. The light may be in use on a public way only when the vehicle is entering the public way in the course of plowing private driveways and other off-highway locations.
(5) A rural mail vehicle may be equipped with auxiliary lights.
(a) The lights used to the front must be white or amber, or any shade between white and amber.
(b) The lights used to the rear must be amber or red, or any shade between amber and red.
(c) The lights, whether used to the front or rear, must be mounted at the same level and as widely spaced laterally as possible.
(d) The lights, whether used to the front or rear, must flash simultaneously.
(e) The lights must be visible from a distance of at least 500 feet under normal atmospheric conditions at night.
(6) A vehicle used or provided by a contract security company to assist in traffic control and direction at construction or maintenance sites on a public way may be equipped with auxiliary lights. Effective July 1, 1996, the auxiliary lights must be amber. Prior to July 1, 1996, the auxiliary lights must be green or amber.
(7) A Department of Public Safety vehicle operated by a motor carrier inspector may be equipped with auxiliary lights that emit an amber light.
(8) A vehicle used by an animal control officer appointed pursuant to Title 7, section 3947 may be equipped with auxiliary lights that emit a flashing amber light.
(9) A refuse, garbage or trash business vehicle used by an individual to transport refuse, garbage and trash may be equipped with auxiliary lights that emit a flashing amber light.
Effective June 29, 2005.
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