SENATE BILL No. 435

May 1, 2001, Introduced by Senators NORTH and KOIVISTO and referred to the Committee

on Transportation and Tourism.

A bill to amend 1949 PA 300, entitled

"Michigan vehicle code,"

by amending section 603 (MCL 257.603), as amended by 1996 PA

587.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

1 Sec. 603. (1) The provisions of this chapter applicable to

2 the drivers of vehicles upon the highway apply to the drivers of

3 all vehicles owned or operated by the United States, this state,

4 or a county, city, township, village, district, or any other

5 political subdivision of the state, subject to the specific

6 exceptions set forth in this chapter with reference to authorized

7 emergency vehicles.

8 (2) The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle when

9 responding to an emergency call, but not while returning from an

10 emergency call, or when pursuing or apprehending a person who has

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1 violated or is violating the law or is charged with or suspected

2 of violating the law may exercise the privileges set forth in

3 this section, subject to the conditions of this section.

4 (3) The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle may do any

5 of the following:

6 (a) Park or stand, irrespective of this act.

7 (b) Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only

8 after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation.

9 (c) Exceed the prima facie speed limits so long as he or she

10 does not endanger life or property.

11 (d) Disregard regulations governing direction of movement or

12 turning in a specified direction.

13 (4) The exemptions granted in this section to an authorized

14 emergency vehicle apply only when the driver of the vehicle while

15 in motion sounds an audible signal by bell, siren, air horn, or

16 exhaust whistle as may be reasonably necessary, except as pro-

17 vided in subsection (5), and when the vehicle is equipped with at

18 least 1 lighted lamp displaying a flashing, oscillating, or

19 rotating red or blue light visible under normal atmospheric con-

20 ditions from a distance of 500 feet in a 360 degree arc unless it

21 is not advisable to equip a police vehicle operating as an autho-

22 rized emergency vehicle with a flashing, oscillating or rotating

23 light visible in a 360 degree arc. In those cases, a police

24 vehicle shall display a flashing, oscillating, or rotating red or

25 blue light visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a

26 distance of 500 feet to the front of the vehicle. Only police

27 vehicles that are publicly owned shall be equipped with a

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1 flashing, oscillating, or rotating blue light that when activated

2 is visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of

3 500 feet in a 360 degree arc.

4 (5) A police vehicle shall retain the exemptions granted in

5 this section to an authorized emergency vehicle without sounding

6 an audible signal if the police vehicle is engaged in an emer-

7 gency run in which silence is required.

8 (6) The exemptions provided for by this section apply to

9 persons, teams, motor vehicles, and other equipment while actu-

10 ally engaged in work upon the surface of a highway but do not

11 apply to those persons and vehicles when traveling to or from

12 work. The provisions of this chapter governing the size and

13 width of vehicles do not apply to vehicles owned by public high-

14 way authorities when the vehicles are proceeding to or from work

15 on public highways. THE PROVISIONS OF THIS CHAPTER GOVERNING THE

16 WEIGHT OF VEHICLES DO NOT APPLY TO VEHICLES OWNED BY A COUNTY

17 ROAD COMMISSION WHEN THE VEHICLES ARE USED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF

18 WINTER ROAD MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS AND IN THE PERFORMANCE OF

19 EMERGENCY MAINTENANCE OR REPAIR WORK.

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