CHAPTER 664

An Act to amend and reenact §§ 46.1-267 and 46.1-285, as amended, of
the Code of Virginia to permit installation of flashing lights and
sirens on certain vehicles.

[H 154]

Approved April 6, 1966

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1, ; That §§ 46.1-267 and 46.1-285, as amended, be amended and reenacted
as follows:

§ 46.1-267. Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not to exceed
two fog lamps, one passing lamp, one driving lamp, two side lamps of not
more than six candle power; interior light of not more than fifteen candle
power; vacant or destination signs on vehicles operated as public carriers,
and signal lamps.

Any police vehicle, fire department vehicle, school bus, vehicle owned
or operated by a member of a volunteer fire company, ambulance, any
rescue vehicle whether publicly or privately owned used for emergency
calls, publicly owned State forest warden vehicles, not to exceed 200 in
number in the Commonwealth, while used by a State forest warden and
any vehicle used for the principal purpose of towing disabled vehicles or in
constructing, maintaining and repairing public highways or utilities on
or along public highways, may be equipped with flashing, blinking or
alternating warning lights of a type approved by the Superintendent. [he
Superintendent may limit the number of vehicles to be equipped with such
warning lights owned by any one department, association or person.

In addition to the foregoing, the Superintendent, upon application of
the chief of any volunteer fire company shall authorize the issuance of
permits to members of any volunteer fire company, designated by the chief
in such application, to equip one privately owned vehicle each with warn-
ing lights for use in emergency calls. Provided, however, that any such
device, which may be approved by the Superintendent for use by members
of a volunteer fire company on private vehicles, shall be installed on only
one vehicle of such member and used by him only in answering emergency
calls of the fire company. It shall be unlawful for any member of a volun-
teer fire company to install such a light without first obtaining a permit
or to use the light for any other purpose than answering a fire call of his
company. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty
of a misdemeanor.

Notwithstanding the provisions of this section any volunteer member
of a regular fire company may be entitled to have a permit issued in the
same manner as a member of a volunteer fire company and may have
installed on one vehicle owned by him warning lights as aforesaid.

No motor vehicle shall be operated on any highway which is equipped
with any lighting device other than lamps required or permitted in this
article or required or permitted by the Superintendent.

§ 46.1-285. Every police vehicle and fire department vehicle and every
ambulance or rescue vehicle used for emergency calls shall be equipped
with a siren or exhaust whistle of a type not prohibited by the Superin-
tendent. Publicly owned vehicles used by a State forest warden, not to
exceed 200 in number in the Commonwealth, may be equipped with a
stren or exhaust whistle of a type not prohibited by the Superintendent.
The Superintendent, upon application of the chief of any volunteer fire
company shall authorize the issuance of permits to not more than three
officers of such volunteer fire company, designated by the chief in such
application, to equip their respective privately owned motor vehicles
with a siren of a type not prohibited by the Superintendent, for use in
emergency calls of the fire company only; provided that no person shall
so equip more than one such motor vehicle.

It shall be unlawful for any member of a volunteer fire company to
install any such siren without first obtaining a permit or to use the siren
for any other purpose than answering a fire call of his company. Any
person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a mis-
demeanor.

The exemptions provided for in § 46.1-226 shall not apply to the
operators of State forest warden vehicles under 8§ 46.1-267 and 46.1-285
as amended.