NY State Senate Bill 2023-S2313

Senate Bill S2313

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Relates to the operation of vehicles that are on approach of vehicles displaying a green or blue light

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 03, 2024	referred to transportation
Jan 19, 2023	referred to transportation

2023-S2313 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A8248
Current Committee:: Senate Transportation
Law Section:: Vehicle and Traffic Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §1144, V & T L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S4544
2025-2026: S3333

2023-S2313 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires operators of motor vehicles to yield the right of way upon the immediate approach of a vehicle displaying a green or blue light.

2023-S2313 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S2313

SPONSOR: SKOUFIS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the opera-
tion of vehicles that are on approach of vehicles displaying a green or
blue light

 
PURPOSE:

To require any operator of a motor vehicle to yield the right of way and
immediately move over upon the approach of an authorized emergency vehi-
cle equipped with at least one lighted lamp exhibiting a blue or green
light.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Amends the section heading and subdivision (b) of section
1144 of the vehicle and traffic law to impose the duty to drive with
reasonable care for all persons using the highway on those vehicles
authorized to display a green or blue light

Section 2: Amends section 1144 of the vehicle and traffic law by adding
a new subdivision (a-1) to require, upon the immediate approach of a
vehicle equipped with at least one lighted lamp exhibiting a green or
blue light, the driver of every other vehicle shall yield the right-of-
way and shall immediately drive a position parallel 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 there or more lands in width, clear of any
intersection, and shall stop and remain in such position until the vehi-
cle has passed.

Section 3: Sets effective date

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Upon the immediate approach of an authorized emergency vehicle display-
ing a visible red light, any operator of a motor vehicle is required to
immediately yield the right of way and pull over.  Currently, motorists
are not required by law, but are encouraged as a courtesy, to exercise
the same due care for volunteer emergency medical vehicles displaying a
green light and volunteer fire vehicles displaying a blue light.

This failure to impose the same standards on motorists for emergency
vehicles displaying blue and/or green lights often results in signif-
icant delays for first responders to arrive on scene and assist those in
need.

This bill will require any operators of a vehicle to also immediately
yield and move over for volunteer EMS vehicles displaying a green light
and volunteer fire vehicles displaying a blue light.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

Senate

2021-2022: S4544, Referred to Transportation

Assembly

2021-2022: No Assembly Same-As

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This bill will take effect immediately.

2023-S2313 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2313
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 19, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SKOUFIS -- 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  opera-
   tion  of  vehicles that are on approach of vehicles displaying a green
   or blue light

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1.  The section heading and subdivision (b) of section 1144 of
 the  vehicle  and  traffic law, as amended by chapter 300 of the laws of
 1960, are amended to read as follows:
   Operation of vehicles on approach of authorized emergency vehicles  OR
 VEHICLES DISPLAYING A GREEN OR BLUE LIGHT.
   (b) This section shall not operate to relieve the driver of an author-
 ized  emergency  vehicle  OR  A VEHICLE AUTHORIZED TO DISPLAY A GREEN OR
 BLUE LIGHT from the duty to drive with reasonable care for  all  persons
 using the highway.
   §  2. Section 1144 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding
 a new subdivision (a-1) to read as follows:
   (A-1) UPON THE IMMEDIATE APPROACH OF A VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH AT  LEAST
 ONE  LIGHTED LAMP EXHIBITING A GREEN OR BLUE LIGHT, PURSUANT TO SUBDIVI-
 SION FORTY-ONE OF SECTION THREE HUNDRED SEVENTY-FIVE  OF  THIS  CHAPTER,
 WHICH  IS  VISIBLE  UNDER  NORMAL  ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS, THE DRIVER OF
 EVERY OTHER VEHICLE SHALL YIELD THE RIGHT-OF-WAY AND  SHALL  IMMEDIATELY
 DRIVE  TO A POSITION PARALLEL 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 VEHICLE HAS PASSED.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06510-01-3

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