NY State Senate Bill 2021-S6271

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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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 05, 2022	referred to transportation
Apr 20, 2021	referred to transportation

2021-S6271 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Transportation
Law Section:: Vehicle and Traffic Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§375 & 1144-a, V & T L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2017-2018: S5397
2019-2020: S80

2021-S6271 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Authorizes hazard vehicles engaged in highway maintenance, ice and snow removal, or designed for the towing or pushing of disabled vehicles to display amber and blue lights for rear projection when such vehicles are engaged in a hazardous operation.

2021-S6271 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6271

SPONSOR: HELMING
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the display
of amber and blue lights on certain hazard vehicles

 
PURPOSE:

To allow tow trucks and roadside service vehicles to display rear-facing
amber and blue lights while engaged in a hazardous operation.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Adds a new section 139-a to the vehicle and traffic law to
define roadside service vehicle as a vehicle that is used for the
providing of fuel, jump starts, tire changes, lockout services, minor
repairs and similar services to motorists and, if equipped to do so, to
push disabled vehicles from traffic lanes.

Section 2. Adds a new sub-paragraph c to paragraph 4 of subdivision 41

of section 375 of the vehicle and traffic law to allow tow trucks and
roadside service vehicles to display amber and blue lights when engaged
in a hazardous operation.

Section 3. Amends paragraph (b) of section 1144-a of the vehicle and
traffic law to require motorists to slow down and move over for hazard
vehicles displaying amber and blue lights (tow trucks and roadside
service vehicles).

Section 4. The act shall take effect immediately.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In October of 2016, two tow truck operators and a NYS Thruway mainte-
nance worker were killed while providing roadside services in New York.
A third tow truck operator was killed in December and another sustained
a serious brain injury in November that caused him to lose his business.
They join approximately seven other tow truck operators who have been
killed in recent years and numerous others who have been injured while
providing roadside services.

There have also been numerous roadside accidents that have resulted in
damage to tow trucks, roadside service vehicles and emergency vehicles
that do not result in personal injuries.

Tow truck and roadside service vehicle drivers suffer a far greater
percentage of roadside injuries and deaths than police and other first
responders to accident scenes. For one thing, there are usually persons
on hand to control traffic while others minister to the injured and
clear accident scenes. Tow truck and roadside service drivers, on the
other hand, are often acting alone.

The color of flashing lights is another factor. Law enforcement officers
are quick to acknowledge that motorists simply don't respect yellow
lights. More importantly, scientific studies have demonstrated that blue
lights are far more visible than any other color.  Hopefully, this bill
will provide tow truck and roadside service drivers with greater
protection while performing hazardous work alongside our state's high-
ways.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2017-18 Advanced to third reading

2019 - Died in Transportation committee

2020 - Died in Transportation committee

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2021-S6271 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6271
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 20, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. HELMING -- 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 the  display
   of amber and blue lights on certain hazard vehicles
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subparagraph c of paragraph 4 of subdivision 41 of  section
 375 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by section 1 of part C of
 chapter 58 of the laws of 2020, is amended to read as follows:
   c.  The commissioner is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations
 relating to the use, placement, power and display of blue  lights  on  a
 police  vehicle,  fire  vehicle,  and hazard vehicle WHICH IS ENGAGED IN
 HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE, ICE AND SNOW REMOVAL, OR IS designed for the towing
 or pushing of disabled vehicles WHERE SUCH OPERATION INVOLVES THE USE OF
 A PUBLIC HIGHWAY.
   § 2. Subparagraph b-1 of paragraph 4 of subdivision 41 of section  375
 of the vehicle and traffic law, as added by section 2 of part C of chap-
 ter 58 of the laws of 2020, is amended to read as follows:
   b-1.  In addition to the amber light authorized to be displayed pursu-
 ant to paragraph three of this subdivision, one or more blue  lights  or
 combination  blue  and  amber  lights may be affixed to a hazard vehicle
 WHICH IS ENGAGED IN HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE, ICE AND  SNOW  REMOVAL,  OR  IS
 designed  for  the  towing or pushing of disabled vehicles provided that
 such blue light or lights shall be displayed on such  a  hazard  vehicle
 for  rear projection only. Such blue light or lights may be displayed on
 a hazard vehicle designed for the towing or pushing of disabled vehicles
 when such vehicle is engaged  in  a  hazardous  operation  and  is  also
 displaying  the  amber light or lights required to be displayed during a
 hazardous operation pursuant to paragraph  three  of  this  subdivision.
 Nothing  contained in this subparagraph shall be deemed to authorize the
 use of blue lights on hazard vehicles WHICH ARE ENGAGED IN HIGHWAY MAIN-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD07947-01-1

 S. 6271                             2
 
 TENANCE, ICE AND SNOW REMOVAL, OR ARE designed for the towing or pushing
 of disabled vehicles WHERE SUCH OPERATION INVOLVES THE USE OF  A  PUBLIC
 HIGHWAY  unless  such  hazard  vehicles  also  display one or more amber
 lights as otherwise authorized in this subdivision.
   § 3. Subdivision (b) of section 1144-a of the vehicle and traffic law,
 as  amended by section 3 of part C of chapter 58 of the laws of 2020, is
 amended to read as follows:
   (b) Every operator of a motor vehicle shall exercise due care to avoid
 colliding with a hazard vehicle which is parked, stopped or standing  on
 the  shoulder  or on any portion of such highway and such hazard vehicle
 is displaying one or more amber lights pursuant  to  the  provisions  of
 paragraph three of subdivision forty-one of section three hundred seven-
 ty-five of this chapter or, if such hazard vehicle is ENGAGED IN HIGHWAY
 MAINTENANCE,  ICE  AND  SNOW  REMOVAL,  OR IS designed for the towing or
 pushing of disabled vehicles WHERE SUCH OPERATION INVOLVES THE USE OF  A
 PUBLIC  HIGHWAY  AND such hazard vehicle is displaying one or more amber
 lights or one or more blue or combination blue and amber lights pursuant
 to the provisions of paragraph three or subparagraph  b-1  of  paragraph
 four,  as  applicable, of subdivision forty-one of section three hundred
 seventy-five of this chapter. For operators of motor vehicles  on  park-
 ways or controlled access highways, such due care shall include, but not
 be limited to, moving from a lane which contains or is immediately adja-
 cent  to  the  shoulder  where (i) such hazard vehicle displaying one or
 more amber lights pursuant to  the  provisions  of  paragraph  three  of
 subdivision  forty-one  of  section  three  hundred seventy-five of this
 chapter or (ii) such hazard vehicle IS ENGAGED IN  HIGHWAY  MAINTENANCE,
 ICE  AND SNOW REMOVAL, OR IS designed for the towing or pushing of disa-
 bled vehicles displaying one or more amber lights or one or more blue or
 combination blue and amber lights pursuant to the  provisions  of  para-
 graph  three  or  subparagraph  b-1 of paragraph four, as applicable, of
 subdivision forty-one of section  three  hundred  seventy-five  of  this
 chapter,  is  parked, stopped or standing to another lane, provided that
 such movement otherwise complies with the requirements of  this  chapter
 including, but not limited to, the provisions of sections eleven hundred
 ten and eleven hundred twenty-eight of this title.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S6271

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Transportation Committee

2021-S6271 (ACTIVE) - Details

2021-S6271 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2021-S6271 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2021-S6271 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S6271

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Sponsored By

Pamela Helming

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Transportation Committee

2021-S6271 (ACTIVE) - Details

2021-S6271 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2021-S6271 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2021-S6271 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments