NY State Senate Bill 2015-S1303A

Senate Bill S1303A

2015-2016 Legislative Session

Authorizes drivers to disobey a traffic-control device or signal, after exercising reasonable care, in order to yield the right of way to an authorized emergency vehicle

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Transportation Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 12, 2016	print number 1303a
Jan 12, 2016	amend and recommit to transportation
Jan 06, 2016	referred to transportation
Jan 09, 2015	referred to transportation

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

2015-S1303 - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Transportation
Law Section:: Vehicle and Traffic Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§1110, 1111, 1113, 1116 & 1144, add §1111-f, V & T L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2013-2014: S7948
2017-2018: S355
2019-2020: S4834
2021-2022: S3685
2023-2024: S1377

2015-S1303 - Summary

Authorizes drivers to disobey a traffic-control device or signal, after exercising reasonable care, in order to yield the right of way to an authorized emergency vehicle.

2015-S1303 - Sponsor Memo

                                BILL NUMBER:S1303

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in
relation to authorizing an operator of a motor vehicle to disobey a
traffic-control device or signal in the course of yielding the right
of way to an authorized emergency vehicle

PURPOSE:  To explicitly codify that the driver of a motor vehicle may,
after exercising due care, move through a red light in order to let an
authorized emergency vehicle pass and to make provisions for the
simple appeal of red light camera tickets incurred under such
circumstances.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends subdivision a of section 1110 of the vehicle and
traffic law to allow drivers to disobey official traffic control
devices in order to give right of way to emergency vehicles.

Section 2 amends paragraphs 1 and 3 of subdivision d of section 1111
of the vehicle and traffic law to allow drivers to disobey circular
red lights and red arrows in order to give right of way to emergency
vehicles.

Section 3 requires municipalities to review red light camera tickets
to determine whether a driver passed through a red light to give right

of way to an emergency vehicle and to provide a simplified mechanism
for individuals to appeal red light tickets on these grounds.

Section 4 amends subdivision a of section 1113 of the vehicle and
traffic law to allow drivers to disobey flashing red light indications
in order to give right of way to emergency vehicles.

Section 5 amends section 1116 of the vehicle and traffic law to allow
drivers to disobey lane use control signal indications in order to
give right of way to emergency vehicles.

Section 6 outlines the circumstances under which a driver may disobey
a traffic signal in order to give right of way to emergency vehicles.

Section 7 establishes the effective date.

JUSTIFICATION:  New York law clearly states that, after exercising due
care, a driver must make all efforts to provide emergency vehicles
with an unimpeded right of way when the emergency vehicle has its
lights flashing. This is perfectly logical public safety measure and
it's something that's understood by all drivers. However, there is a
common permutation of this rule that is not explicitly accounted for
by the law: what to do when you are stopped at a red light and an
ambulance is urgently trying to get through. The answer for most
drivers is obvious, if you are unable to otherwise move out of the
way, you check to ensure that you can safely move through the
intersection, and let the ambulance pass. However, not only is it
unclear that drivers are permitted to do the obvious, but they may
even be hit with a red light camera ticket for doing the right thing.
The Yonkers Parking Violation Bureau takes a commonsense
interpretation of the law, stating on its website that: "You must move


your vehicle out of the way for emergency vehicles as per NYS law. If
you do and there is a red light camera at the intersection, you will
NOT receive a violation if you had to move through the red light to
get out of the way of an emergency vehicle." However, there is
actually nothing in the law that explicitly supports this conclusion,
so drivers in other municipalities are faced with the cost and
inconvenience of contesting violations for doing exactly what they
should do under the circumstances. This legislation fixes this
oversight, by making it explicit that a driver may disobey a traffic
signal when he or she can do so safely when an emergency vehicle with
its flashing lights activated needs to get through. At least five
states-Delaware, Illinois, Tennessee, Florida, and Maryland-already
have laws on the books making yielding to emergency vehicles a
statutory defense to red light camera tickets.  This bill will also
require municipalities to give drivers an easy way to appeal red light
tickets issued under these circumstances, so that people won't be
unnecessarily burdened for doing what's right.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:  2013-2014: S.7948

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: To be determined.

EFFECTIVE DATE:  This act shall take effect on the first of January
next succeeding the date on which it shall have become law.

2015-S1303 - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  1303

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                             January 9, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen. PERALTA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation

AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to  authorizing
  an  operator of a motor vehicle to disobey a traffic-control device or
  signal in the course of yielding the right of  way  to  an  authorized
  emergency vehicle

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. Subdivision (a) of section 1110 of the vehicle and  traffic
law,  as  amended by chapter 259 of the laws of 1964, is amended to read
as follows:
  (a) Every person shall obey the instructions of any official  traffic-
control  device  applicable  to him OR HER placed in accordance with the
provisions of this chapter, unless otherwise directed by  a  traffic  or
police officer, OR UNLESS OTHERWISE AUTHORIZED BY SECTION ELEVEN HUNDRED
FORTY-FOUR  OF  THIS TITLE, subject to the exceptions granted the driver
of an authorized emergency vehicle in this title.
  S 2. Paragraphs 1 and 3 of subdivision (d)  of  section  1111  of  the
vehicle  and  traffic  law, paragraph 1 as amended by chapter 760 of the
laws of 1974 and paragraph 3 as amended by chapter 356 of  the  laws  of
1971  and  as renumbered by chapter 760 of the laws of 1974, are amended
to read as follows:
  1. Traffic, except pedestrians, facing a steady circular  red  signal,
unless  to make such other movement as is permitted by other indications
shown at the same time, shall stop at a clearly marked stop line, but if
none, then shall stop before entering the crosswalk on the near side  of
the  intersection,  or  in the event there is no crosswalk, at the point
nearest the intersecting roadway where the driver  has  a  view  of  the
approaching  traffic  on  the  intersecting  roadway before entering the
intersection and shall remain standing until an indication to proceed is

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD00428-01-5

S. 1303                             2

shown except as provided in paragraph two  of  this  subdivision  OR  AS
AUTHORIZED BY SECTION ELEVEN HUNDRED FORTY-FOUR OF THIS TITLE.
  3.  Traffic,  except pedestrians, facing a steady red arrow signal may
not enter the intersection to make the movement indicated by such  arrow
and,  unless entering the intersection to make such other movement as is
permitted by other indications shown at the same time, shall stop  at  a
clearly  marked  stop line, but if none, then shall stop before entering
the crosswalk on the near side of the  intersection,  or  in  the  event
there  is  no  crosswalk  at  the point nearest the intersecting roadway
where the driver has a view of the approaching traffic on the intersect-
ing roadway before entering the intersection and shall  remain  standing
until  an indication to proceed is shown EXCEPT AS AUTHORIZED BY SECTION
ELEVEN HUNDRED FORTY-FOUR OF THIS TITLE.
  S 3. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding  a  new  section
1111-e to read as follows:
  S  1111-E.  REVIEW OF TRAFFIC-CONTROL VIOLATION; YIELDING RIGHT OF WAY
TO AN AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLE.  (A)  EVERY  MUNICIPALITY  WHICH  IS
AUTHORIZED TO INSTALL AND OPERATE TRAFFIC-CONTROL SIGNAL PHOTO VIOLATION
MONITORING  DEVICES PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE, SHALL ESTABLISH AND IMPLE-
MENT A PROGRAM AND METHODOLOGY WHICH PROVIDES  FOR  THE  REVIEW  OF  THE
PHOTOGRAPHS,   MICROPHOTOGRAPHS,  VIDEOTAPE  OR  OTHER  RECORDED  IMAGES
PRODUCED  BY  ITS  TRAFFIC-CONTROL  SIGNAL  PHOTO  VIOLATION  MONITORING
DEVICES  TO  DETERMINE  WHETHER  ANY  OWNER  CHARGED WITH A VIOLATION OF
SUBDIVISION (D) OF SECTION ELEVEN HUNDRED ELEVEN OF THIS ARTICLE,  DISO-
BEYED THE TRAFFIC-CONTROL SIGNAL AS AUTHORIZED BY SECTION ELEVEN HUNDRED
FORTY-FOUR  OF  THIS  TITLE;  IN WHICH CASE, ANY NOTICE OF LIABILITY FOR
SUCH VIOLATION SHALL BE VOID.
  (B) EVERY SUCH MUNICIPALITY SHALL INCLUDE  SPACE  ON  EACH  NOTICE  OF
LIABILITY  IT  ISSUES,  IN  WHICH AN OWNER MAY INDICATE THAT THE ALLEGED
VIOLATION WAS AUTHORIZED IN ORDER TO  YIELD  THE  RIGHT  OF  WAY  TO  AN
AUTHORIZED  EMERGENCY  VEHICLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION ELEVEN HUNDRED
FORTY-FOUR OF THIS TITLE. IN EACH INSTANCE IN WHICH AN  OWNER  SO  INDI-
CATES, THE MUNICIPALITY SHALL CAUSE A REVIEW TO BE CONDUCTED PURSUANT TO
SUBDIVISION (A) OF THIS SECTION.
  S  4.  Subdivision (a) of section 1113 of the vehicle and traffic law,
as amended by chapter 722 of the laws of 2006, is  amended  to  read  as
follows:
  (a)  Flashing red indications. Unless to make another movement permit-
ted by other indications shown at the same  time  OR  AS  AUTHORIZED  BY
SECTION  ELEVEN  HUNDRED  FORTY-FOUR  OF  THIS  TITLE, vehicular traffic
facing a circular red signal or red arrow with rapid intermittent flash-
es shall stop at a clearly marked stop line, but  if  none,  then  shall
stop before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection,
or  in  the event there is no crosswalk, at the point nearest the inter-
secting roadway where the driver has a view of  approaching  traffic  on
the  intersecting roadway before entering the intersection and the right
to proceed shall be subject to the rules applicable after making a  stop
at a stop sign.
  S  5. The opening paragraph of section 1116 of the vehicle and traffic
law, as amended by chapter 228 of the laws of 2012, is amended  to  read
as follows:
  Whenever  traffic is controlled by lane-use control signal indications
located over the individual lanes of a highway, only the  colors  green,
yellow,  white  and red shall be used, and said signals shall, EXCEPT AS
OTHERWISE REQUIRED BY SECTION ELEVEN HUNDRED FORTY-FOUR OF  THIS  TITLE,
indicate and apply as follows:

S. 1303                             3

  S  6.  Subdivision (a) of section 1144 of the vehicle and traffic law,
as amended by chapter 606 of the laws of 1994, is  amended  to  read  as
follows:
  (a)  Upon  the  immediate  approach of an authorized emergency vehicle
equipped with at least one lighted lamp  exhibiting  red  light  visible
under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of five hundred feet
to the front of such vehicle other than a police vehicle or bicycle when
operated  as  an  authorized emergency vehicle, and when audible signals
are sounded from any said vehicle by siren, exhaust whistle, bell,  air-
horn  or  electronic equivalent; the driver of every other vehicle shall
yield the right of way and shall immediately drive to a position  paral-
lel  to,  and as close as possible to the right-hand edge or curb of the
roadway, or to either edge of a one-way roadway three or more  lanes  in
width,  clear  of  any  intersection,  and shall stop and remain in such
position until the  authorized  emergency  vehicle  has  passed,  unless
otherwise  directed  by  a  police  officer.  A DRIVER, AFTER EXERCISING
REASONABLE CARE FOR ALL PERSONS USING THE HIGHWAY, MAY DISOBEY ANY OFFI-
CIAL TRAFFIC-CONTROL DEVICE OR TRAFFIC-CONTROL SIGNAL, WHEN SUCH DISOBE-
DIENCE IS NECESSARY TO YIELD THE RIGHT OF WAY TO AN AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY
VEHICLE.
  S 7. This act shall take effect on the first of January next  succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become a law.

2015-S1303A (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Transportation
Law Section:: Vehicle and Traffic Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§1110, 1111, 1113, 1116 & 1144, add §1111-f, V & T L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2013-2014: S7948
2017-2018: S355
2019-2020: S4834
2021-2022: S3685
2023-2024: S1377

2015-S1303A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Authorizes drivers to disobey a traffic-control device or signal, after exercising reasonable care, in order to yield the right of way to an authorized emergency vehicle.

2015-S1303A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S1303A

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in
relation to authorizing an operator of a motor vehicle to disobey a
traffic-control device or signal in the course of yielding the right
of way to an authorized emergency vehicle

 PURPOSE :

To explicitly codify that the driver of a motor vehicle may, after
exercising due care, move through a red light in order to let an
authorized emergency vehicle pass and to make provisions for the
simple appeal of red light camera tickets incurred under such
circumstances.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1 amends subdivision a of section 1110 of the vehicle and
traffic law to allow drivers to disobey official traffic control
devices in order to give right of way to emergency vehicles.

Section 2 amends paragraphs 1 and 3 of subdivision d of section 1111
of the vehicle and traffic law to allow drivers to disobey circular
red lights and red arrows in order to give right of way to emergency
vehicles.

Section 3 requires municipalities to review red light camera tickets
to determine whether a driver passed through a red light to give right
of way to an emergency vehicle and to provide a simplified mechanism
for individuals to appeal red light tickets on these grounds.

Section 4 amends subdivision a of section 1113 of the vehicle and
traffic law to allow drivers to disobey flashing red light indications
in order to give right of way to emergency vehicles.

Section 5 amends section 1116 of the vehicle and traffic law to allow
drivers to disobey lane use control signal indications in order to
give right of way to emergency vehicles.

Section 6 outlines the circumstances under which a driver may disobey
a traffic signal in order to give right of way to emergency vehicles.

Section 7 establishes the effective date.

 JUSTIFICATION :

New York law clearly states that, after exercising due care, a driver
must make all efforts to provide emergency vehicles with an unimpeded
right of way when the emergency vehicle has its lights flashing. This
is perfectly logical public safety measure and it's something that's
understood by all drivers. However, there is a common permutation of
this rule that is not explicitly accounted for by the law: what to do
when you are stopped at a red light and an ambulance is urgently
trying to get through. The answer for most drivers is obvious, if you
are unable to otherwise move out of the way, you check to ensure that
you can safely move through the intersection, and let the ambulance
pass. However, not only is it unclear that drivers are permitted to do
the obvious, but they may even be hit with a red light camera ticket
for doing the right thing.  The Yonkers Parking Violation Bureau takes
a commonsense interpretation of the law, stating on its website that:
"You must move your vehicle out of the way for emergency vehicles as
per NYS law. If you do and there is a red light camera at the
intersection, you will NOT receive a violation if you had to move
through the red light to get out of the way of an emergency vehicle."
However, there is actually nothing in the law that explicitly supports
this conclusion, so drivers in other municipalities are faced with the
cost and inconvenience of contesting violations for doing exactly what
they should do under the circumstances. This legislation fixes this
oversight, by making it explicit that a driver may disobey a traffic
signal when he or she can do so safely when an emergency vehicle with
its flashing lights activated needs to get through. At least five
states-Delaware, Illinois, Tennessee, Florida, and Maryland-already
have laws on the books making yielding to emergency vehicles a
statutory defense to red light camera tickets.  This bill will also
require municipalities to give drivers an easy way to appeal red light
tickets issued under these circumstances, so that people won't be
unnecessarily burdened for doing what's right.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

2013-2014: S.7948

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

To be determined.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become law.

2015-S1303A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                 1303--A

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                             January 9, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen. PERALTA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation  --  recom-
  mitted  to  the  Committee on Transportation in accordance with Senate
  Rule  6,  sec.  8  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,  ordered
  reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

AN  ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to authorizing
  an operator of a motor vehicle to disobey a traffic-control device  or
  signal  in  the  course  of yielding the right of way to an authorized
  emergency vehicle

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1. Subdivision (a) of section 1110 of the vehicle and traffic
law, as amended by chapter 259 of the laws of 1964, is amended  to  read
as follows:
  (a)  Every person shall obey the instructions of any official traffic-
control device applicable to him OR HER placed in  accordance  with  the
provisions  of  this  chapter, unless otherwise directed by a traffic or
police officer, OR UNLESS OTHERWISE AUTHORIZED BY SECTION ELEVEN HUNDRED
FORTY-FOUR OF THIS TITLE, subject to the exceptions granted  the  driver
of an authorized emergency vehicle in this title.
  S  2.  Paragraphs  1  and  3 of subdivision (d) of section 1111 of the
vehicle and traffic law, paragraph 1 as amended by chapter  760  of  the
laws  of  1974  and paragraph 3 as amended by chapter 356 of the laws of
1971 and as renumbered by chapter 760 of the laws of 1974,  are  amended
to read as follows:
  1.  Traffic,  except pedestrians, facing a steady circular red signal,
unless to make such other movement as is permitted by other  indications
shown at the same time, shall stop at a clearly marked stop line, but if
none,  then shall stop before entering the crosswalk on the near side of
the intersection, or in the event there is no crosswalk,  at  the  point
nearest  the  intersecting  roadway  where  the driver has a view of the

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD00428-02-6

S. 1303--A                          2

approaching traffic on the  intersecting  roadway  before  entering  the
intersection and shall remain standing until an indication to proceed is
shown  except  as  provided  in  paragraph two of this subdivision OR AS
AUTHORIZED BY SECTION ELEVEN HUNDRED FORTY-FOUR OF THIS TITLE.
  3.  Traffic,  except pedestrians, facing a steady red arrow signal may
not enter the intersection to make the movement indicated by such  arrow
and,  unless entering the intersection to make such other movement as is
permitted by other indications shown at the same time, shall stop  at  a
clearly  marked  stop line, but if none, then shall stop before entering
the crosswalk on the near side of the  intersection,  or  in  the  event
there  is  no  crosswalk  at  the point nearest the intersecting roadway
where the driver has a view of the approaching traffic on the intersect-
ing roadway before entering the intersection and shall  remain  standing
until  an indication to proceed is shown EXCEPT AS AUTHORIZED BY SECTION
ELEVEN HUNDRED FORTY-FOUR OF THIS TITLE.
  S 3. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding  a  new  section
1111-f to read as follows:
  S  1111-F.  REVIEW OF TRAFFIC-CONTROL VIOLATION; YIELDING RIGHT OF WAY
TO AN AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLE.  (A)  EVERY  MUNICIPALITY  WHICH  IS
AUTHORIZED TO INSTALL AND OPERATE TRAFFIC-CONTROL SIGNAL PHOTO VIOLATION
MONITORING  DEVICES PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE, SHALL ESTABLISH AND IMPLE-
MENT A PROGRAM AND METHODOLOGY WHICH PROVIDES  FOR  THE  REVIEW  OF  THE
PHOTOGRAPHS,   MICROPHOTOGRAPHS,  VIDEOTAPE  OR  OTHER  RECORDED  IMAGES
PRODUCED  BY  ITS  TRAFFIC-CONTROL  SIGNAL  PHOTO  VIOLATION  MONITORING
DEVICES  TO  DETERMINE  WHETHER  ANY  OWNER  CHARGED WITH A VIOLATION OF
SUBDIVISION (D) OF SECTION ELEVEN HUNDRED ELEVEN OF THIS ARTICLE,  DISO-
BEYED THE TRAFFIC-CONTROL SIGNAL AS AUTHORIZED BY SECTION ELEVEN HUNDRED
FORTY-FOUR  OF  THIS  TITLE;  IN WHICH CASE, ANY NOTICE OF LIABILITY FOR
SUCH VIOLATION SHALL BE VOID.
  (B) EVERY SUCH MUNICIPALITY SHALL INCLUDE  SPACE  ON  EACH  NOTICE  OF
LIABILITY  IT  ISSUES,  IN  WHICH AN OWNER MAY INDICATE THAT THE ALLEGED
VIOLATION WAS AUTHORIZED IN ORDER TO  YIELD  THE  RIGHT  OF  WAY  TO  AN
AUTHORIZED  EMERGENCY  VEHICLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION ELEVEN HUNDRED
FORTY-FOUR OF THIS TITLE. IN EACH INSTANCE IN WHICH AN  OWNER  SO  INDI-
CATES, THE MUNICIPALITY SHALL CAUSE A REVIEW TO BE CONDUCTED PURSUANT TO
SUBDIVISION (A) OF THIS SECTION.
  S  4.  Subdivision (a) of section 1113 of the vehicle and traffic law,
as amended by chapter 722 of the laws of 2006, is  amended  to  read  as
follows:
  (a)  Flashing red indications. Unless to make another movement permit-
ted by other indications shown at the same  time  OR  AS  AUTHORIZED  BY
SECTION  ELEVEN  HUNDRED  FORTY-FOUR  OF  THIS  TITLE, vehicular traffic
facing a circular red signal or red arrow with rapid intermittent flash-
es shall stop at a clearly marked stop line, but  if  none,  then  shall
stop before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection,
or  in  the event there is no crosswalk, at the point nearest the inter-
secting roadway where the driver has a view of  approaching  traffic  on
the  intersecting roadway before entering the intersection and the right
to proceed shall be subject to the rules applicable after making a  stop
at a stop sign.
  S  5. The opening paragraph of section 1116 of the vehicle and traffic
law, as amended by chapter 228 of the laws of 2012, is amended  to  read
as follows:
  Whenever  traffic is controlled by lane-use control signal indications
located over the individual lanes of a highway, only the  colors  green,
yellow,  white  and red shall be used, and said signals shall, EXCEPT AS

S. 1303--A                          3

OTHERWISE REQUIRED BY SECTION ELEVEN HUNDRED FORTY-FOUR OF  THIS  TITLE,
indicate and apply as follows:
  S  6.  Subdivision (a) of section 1144 of the vehicle and traffic law,
as amended by chapter 606 of the laws of 1994, is  amended  to  read  as
follows:
  (a)  Upon  the  immediate  approach of an authorized emergency vehicle
equipped with at least one lighted lamp  exhibiting  red  light  visible
under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of five hundred feet
to the front of such vehicle other than a police vehicle or bicycle when
operated  as  an  authorized emergency vehicle, and when audible signals
are sounded from any said vehicle by siren, exhaust whistle, bell,  air-
horn  or  electronic equivalent; the driver of every other vehicle shall
yield the right of way and shall immediately drive to a position  paral-
lel  to,  and as close as possible to the right-hand edge or curb of the
roadway, or to either edge of a one-way roadway three or more  lanes  in
width,  clear  of  any  intersection,  and shall stop and remain in such
position until the  authorized  emergency  vehicle  has  passed,  unless
otherwise  directed  by  a  police  officer.  A DRIVER, AFTER EXERCISING
REASONABLE CARE FOR ALL PERSONS USING THE HIGHWAY, MAY DISOBEY ANY OFFI-
CIAL TRAFFIC-CONTROL DEVICE OR TRAFFIC-CONTROL SIGNAL, WHEN SUCH DISOBE-
DIENCE IS NECESSARY TO YIELD THE RIGHT OF WAY TO AN AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY
VEHICLE.
  S 7. This act shall take effect on the first of January next  succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become a law.

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