Find Legal Information

189.920 Flashing lights.

Download pdf

189.920 Flashing lights. (1) All fire department, rescue squad, or publicly owned emergency management agency emergency vehicles and all ambulances shall be equipped with one (1) or <br>more flashing, rotating, or oscillating red lights, visible under normal atmospheric <br>conditions from a distance of five hundred (500) feet to the front of the vehicle, and <br>a siren, whistle, or bell, capable of emitting a sound audible under normal <br>conditions from a distance of not less than five hundred (500) feet. This equipment <br>shall be in addition to any other equipment required by the motor vehicle laws. (2) All state, county, or municipal police vehicles and all sheriffs' vehicles used as emergency vehicles shall be equipped with one (1) or more flashing, rotating, or <br>oscillating blue lights, visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance <br>of five hundred (500) feet to the front of the vehicle, and a siren, whistle, or bell, <br>capable of emitting a sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not <br>less than five hundred (500) feet. This equipment shall be in addition to any other <br>equipment required by the motor vehicle laws. (3) By ordinance, the governing body of any city or county may direct that the police or sheriffs' vehicles in that jurisdiction be equipped with a combination of red and blue <br>flashing, rotating, or oscillating lights. (4) All public safety vehicles shall be equipped with one (1) or more flashing, rotating, or oscillating yellow lights, visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a <br>distance of five hundred (500) feet to the front of the vehicle. Yellow flashing, <br>rotating, or oscillating lights may also be used by vehicles operated by mail carriers <br>while on duty, funeral escort vehicles, and church buses. (5) All Department of Corrections vehicles used as emergency vehicles shall be equipped with one (1) or more flashing, rotating, or oscillating blue lights, visible <br>under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of five hundred (500) feet to <br>the front of the vehicle. The Department of Corrections vehicles shall not be <br>equipped with or use a siren, whistle, or bell. The equipment prescribed by this <br>subsection shall be in addition to any other equipment required by motor vehicle <br>laws. (6) Red flashing lights may be used by school buses. <br>(7) No emergency vehicle, public safety vehicle, or any other vehicle covered by KRS 189.910 to 189.950 shall use any light of any other color than those specified by <br>KRS 189.910 to 189.950. Sirens, whistles, and bells may not be used by vehicles <br>other than those specified by KRS 189.910 to 189.950, except that any vehicle may <br>be equipped with a theft alarm signal device which is so arranged that it cannot be <br>used by the driver as an ordinary warning signal. (8) Vehicles used as command posts at incidents may be equipped with and use when on scene, a green rotating, oscillating, or flashing light. This light shall be in <br>addition to the lights and sirens required in this section. (9) A personal vehicle used by a paid or volunteer firefighter, ambulance personnel, or emergency services director who is responding to an emergency shall display the <br>lights required in subsection (1) of this section. Effective: July 12, 2006 <br>History: Amended 2006 Ky. Acts ch. 173, sec. 25, effective July 12, 2006. -- Amended 1998 Ky. Acts ch. 226, sec. 107, effective July 15, 1998. -- Amended 1992 Ky. Acts <br>ch. 211, sec. 17, effective July 14, 1992. -- Amended 1986 Ky. Acts ch. 419, sec. 2, <br>effective July 15, 1986. -- Amended 1984 Ky. Acts ch. 55, sec. 1, effective July 13, <br>1984. -- Created 1970 Ky. Acts ch. 93, sec. 2.