CHAPTER 655

An Act to amend and reenuct §§ 46.1-267 and 46.1-285, as amended, of
the Code of Virginia, relating to permissible lights on motor vehicles;
police, fire department and rescue vehicles; sirens or whistles; penal-

ties.
([(S 451]
Approved April 6, 1966

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §§ 46.1-267 and 46.1-285, as amended, 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, 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, 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, blink-
ing or alternating warning lights of a type approved by the Superin-
tendent. The Superintendent may limit the number of vehicles to be
equipped with such warning lights owned by any one department, associa-
tion or person.
In addition to the foregoing, the Superintendent, upon application of
the chief of any volunteer fire company or rescue squad shall authorize the
issuance of permits to members of any volunteer fire company or rescue
squad, designated by the chief in such application, to equip one privately
owned vehicle each with red 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 or rescue
squad 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 or rescue squad. It shall be unlawful for any member of a volun-
teer fire company or rescue squad to install such a light without first
obtaining a permit or to use the light for any other purpose than answering
a fire or rescue call of his company or squad. Any person violating the
provision of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

Notwithstanding the provision of this section any volunteer member
of a regular fire company or rescue squad may be entitled to have a permit
issued in the same manner as a member of a volunteer fire company or
rescue squad 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
Superintendent. The Superintendent, upon application of the chief of any
volunteer fire company or president of a rescue squad shall authorize the
issuance of permits to not more than three officers of such volunteer fire
company or rescue squad, 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 or rescue squad 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
or rescue squad to install any such siren without first obtaining a permit
or to use the siren for any other purpose than answering a fire or rescue
call of his company, or squad. Any person violating the provisions of this
section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.