61-9-402. Audible and visual signals on police and emergency vehicles and on-scene command vehicles. (1) A police vehicle shall be equipped with a siren capable of giving an audible signal and may, but need not, be equipped with alternately flashing or rotating red or blue lights as specified herein. The use of signal equipment described herein shall impose upon the drivers of other vehicles the obligation to yield right-of-way and/or to stop and to proceed past such signal or light only with caution and at a speed which is no greater than is reasonable and proper under the conditions existing at the point of operation.
     (2) Every authorized emergency vehicle shall, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive markings required by this chapter, be equipped with a siren and an alternately flashing or rotating red light as specified herein.
     (3) Every authorized emergency vehicle shall, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive markings required by this chapter, be equipped with signal lamps mounted as high and as widely spaced laterally as practicable, which shall be capable of displaying to the front two alternately flashing red lights located at the same level and to the rear two alternately flashing red lights located at the same level, and these lights shall have sufficient intensity to be visible at 500 feet in normal sunlight.
     (4) Every bus used for the transportation of school children shall, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive markings required by this chapter, be equipped with signal lamps mounted as high and as widely spaced laterally as practicable, displaying to the front two red and two amber alternating flashing lights and to the rear two red and two amber alternating flashing lights. These lights shall have sufficient intensity to be visible at 500 feet in normal sunlight. The warning lights shall be of a type and located on each bus as prescribed by the state board of education and approved by the department.
     (5) Police vehicles and authorized emergency vehicles may, and emergency service vehicles shall, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive markings required by this chapter be equipped with alternately flashing or rotating amber lights as specified herein. The use of signal equipment described herein shall impose upon the drivers of other vehicles the obligation to yield right-of-way and/or to stop and to proceed past such signal or light only with caution and at a speed which is no greater than is reasonable and proper under the conditions existing at the point of operation.
     (6) Blue, red, and amber lights required in this section shall be mounted as high as and as widely spaced laterally as practicable and capable of displaying to the front two alternately flashing lights of the specified color located at the same level and to the rear two alternately flashing lights of the specified color located at the same level or as an alternative, one rotating light of the specified color, mounted as high as is practicable which shall be both visible front and rear. These lights shall have sufficient intensity to be visible at 500 feet in normal sunlight. The use of blue lights as required in subsection (1) of this section shall be restricted to police vehicles as defined in 61-1-118.
     (7) Every police car and authorized emergency vehicle may be equipped with a portable signal lamp that is green in color and capable of magnetic attachment to the exterior roof of the vehicle for purposes of designation as the on-scene command and control vehicle in an emergency or disaster. The green light shall have sufficient intensity to be visible at 500 feet in normal sunlight.

     History: En. Sec. 129, Ch. 263, L. 1955; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 40, L. 1959; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 250, L. 1965; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 153, L. 1975; R.C.M. 1947, 32-21-132; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 361, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 503, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 116, Ch. 370, L. 1987.