§ 22-64. Audible and visual signals on school buses, police vehicles and authorized emergency vehicles.

(a)

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 in this section. The use of signal equipment described in this section shall impose upon the drivers of other vehicles the obligation to yield the right-of-way and/or 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.

(b)

Every authorized emergency vehicle shall, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive markings required by state law, be equipped with a siren and an alternately flashing or rotating red light as specified in this section.

(c)

Every authorized emergency vehicle shall, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive markings required by state law, 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.

(d)

Every bus used for the transportation of schoolchildren shall, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive markings required by state law, be equipped with signal lamps mounted as high and as widely spaced laterally as practicable and 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 supervisor of the state highway patrol.

(e)

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 in this section, which shall impose upon the drivers of other vehicles the obligation to yield the 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.

(f)

Blue, red and amber lights required in subsections (a), (b) and (c) of this section shall be mounted as high 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 both in the 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 (a) of this section shall be restricted to police vehicles as defined in section 22-2.

(Code 1981, § 10.24.080)

State law reference

Audible and visual signals on police and emergency vehicles, MCA 61-9-402.

Cross reference

Use of school bus signal lights, § 22-135.