CHAPTER 391

An Act to amend and reenact §§ 46.1-267, 46.1-285 and 46.1-319 of the
Code of Virginia, relating to lights and sirens on certain emergency
vehicles and to regulations for inspection of vehicles.

[H 45]

Approved March 30, 1960

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §§ 46.1-267, 46.1-285 and 46.1-319 of the Code of Virginia 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, 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, 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. The
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
warning 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 volunteer 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.

No motor vehicle shall be operated on any highway which is equip-
ped 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
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 vehi-
cles 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
meanor.

§ 46.1-319. The Superintendent shall promulgate regulations for
person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misde-
the inspection of motor vehicles under this title and shall furnish each
official inspection station with a printed set of such regulations suitable
for posting and such station shall post the same in a conspicuous place
in the portion of its premises where such inspections are made and shall
cause its employees making official inspections for it and on its behalf
to be conversant with such regulations.

The Superintendent shall require that any blinking warning light or
siren, installed on any private vehicle of a volunteer fireman under the
provisions of §§ 46.1-267 or 46.1-285 be inspected and further, shall re-
quire that in the event the permit for such light or siren is not presented,
the inspector shall refuse to inspect the vehicle.