347.25 Special warning lamps on vehicles.

946 words·~4 min read·/wi/chapter-347/347-25-4

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

(1)Except as provided in subs.

(a),

(1n),

(1r), and

(1s), an authorized emergency vehicle may be equipped with one or more flashing, oscillating, or rotating red lights, except that ambulances, fire department equipment, privately owned motor vehicles under s. 340.01

(d),

(dg), or

(dm)being used by personnel of a full-time or part-time fire department, by members of a volunteer fire department or rescue squad, or by an organ procurement organization or any person under an agreement with an organ procurement organization, and privately owned motor vehicles under s. 340.01

(dh)being used to transport or pick up medical devices or equipment, may be equipped with red or red and white lights, and shall be so equipped when the operator thereof is exercising the privileges granted by s. 346.03 or 346.215

(a). The lights shall be so designed and mounted as to be plainly visible and understandable from a distance of 500 feet both during normal sunlight and during hours of darkness. No operator of an authorized emergency vehicle may use the warning lights except when responding to an emergency call or when in pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law, when responding to but not upon returning from a fire alarm, when transporting an organ for human transplantation, when transporting medical personnel for the purpose of performing human organ harvesting or transplantation immediately after the transportation, when necessarily parked in a position which is likely to be hazardous to traffic, or as authorized under s. 346.215

(a).

(a)A police vehicle under s. 340.01

(a)may be equipped with a blue light and a red light which are flashing, oscillating or rotating.

(b)If the vehicle is so equipped, the lights shall be illuminated as required under s. 346.03 or 346.215

(a)when the operator of the police vehicle is exercising the privileges granted under s. 346.03 or 346.215

(a). On a marked police vehicle with an exterior light bar, the blue light shall be mounted on the roof of the passenger side of the vehicle and the red light shall be mounted on the roof of the driver side of the vehicle. If lights are mounted inside the vehicle, blue lights shall be displayed on the interior of the passenger side of the vehicle and red lights shall be displayed on the interior of the driver side of the vehicle. On marked police vehicles with blue lights displayed on the passenger side roof or interior and red lights displayed on the driver side roof or interior, a combination of additional blue and red lights may be mounted on the front, sides, or rear of a police vehicle in any configuration. When in use on an unmarked police vehicle, the blue light shall be displayed on the passenger side of the vehicle and the red light shall be displayed on the driver side of the vehicle. The lights shall be designed and displayed so as to be plainly visible and understandable from a distance of 500 feet during normal sunlight and during hours of darkness. No operator of a police vehicle may use the warning lights except when responding to an emergency call or when in pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law, when responding to but not upon returning from a fire alarm, when necessarily parked on a highway in a position which is likely to be hazardous to traffic using the highway, or as authorized under s. 346.215

(a).

(c)If the state or any local authority intends to equip its police vehicles as authorized under par.

(a), the state or the local authority shall give notice of its intent as a class 2 notice under ch. 985 at least 90 days before so equipping the first vehicle.

(1n)A police vehicle under s. 340.01

(a)may be equipped with one or more flashing white lights. The lights shall be designed and displayed so as to be plainly visible and understandable from a distance of 500 feet both during normal sunlight and during hours of darkness. The lights may be used only when the warning lamps authorized under sub.

(1)or

(1m)are in use.

1. A police vehicle under s. 340.01

(a)may be equipped so that the high beams of its headlamps pulsate or flash alternately at a rate of 70 to 90 pulses or flashes per minute. The pulsating or flashing headlamps may be used only when the warning lamps authorized under sub.

(1)or

(1m)are in use.

2. If the state or any local authority intends to equip its police vehicles as authorized under subd. 1. , the state or the local authority shall give notice of its intent as a class 2 notice under ch. 985 at least 90 days before so equipping the first vehicle.

a. A vehicle of a fire department under s. 340.01

(c)or an ambulance under s. 340.01

(g)may be equipped so that the high beams of its headlamps pulsate or flash alternately at a rate of 70 to 90 pulses or flashes per minute. The pulsating or flashing headlamps may be used only when the warning lamps authorized under sub.

(1)are in use.

b. If any local authority intends to equip its vehicles as authorized under subd. 1. a. , the local authority shall give notice of its intent as a class 2 notice under ch. 985 at least 90 days before so equipping the first vehicle.