§ 27-49-219 - Vehicles.
27-49-219. Vehicles.
(a) "Vehicle" means every device in, upon, or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a highway, except devices moved by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks.
(b) "Motor vehicles" means every vehicle which is self-propelled and every vehicle which is propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires but not operated upon rails.
(c) "Motorcycle" means every motor vehicle having a saddle for the use of the rider and designed to travel on not more than three (3) wheels in contact with the ground but excluding a tractor.
(d) (1) "Authorized emergency vehicle" means authorized emergency vehicles, which shall include:
(A) Motor vehicles used by state, county, or city and municipal police agencies, all of which shall be equipped with:
(i) Blue; or
(ii) Blue, red, or white rotating or flashing emergency lights;
(B) (i) Motor vehicles used by state, county, city, or municipal fire departments, motor vehicles owned and used by volunteer fire fighters while engaged in official duties, motor vehicles used by emergency medical services personnel licensed by the Department of Health or privately owned fire departments, and ambulances used solely for ambulance purposes that are approved as ambulances in accordance with state and federal highway safety standards, all of which shall be equipped with red rotating or flashing emergency lights.
(ii) Flashing emergency lights shall be used by volunteer fire fighters solely while engaged in the performance of duties as volunteer fire fighters and by emergency medical services personnel solely while engaged in the performance of duties with an ambulance service licensed by the department or an organized rescue squad or team;
(C) (i) Motor vehicles owned by state, county, and municipal agencies whose use is determined by the state agency to be required for dangerous or hazardous services and motor vehicles owned by public service corporations or private individuals whose use is determined by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, in accordance with regulations established by the commissioner to prevent abuses thereof, to be for extra hazardous service, may be equipped with amber flashing or rotating emergency or warning lights that shall not qualify them as emergency vehicles, but which shall during hazardous uses display their amber flashing or rotating emergency or warning lights in order that other motorists and the public may be aware of the special or hazardous use of the vehicles and shall exercise caution in approaching the vehicles at all times while the amber flashing or rotating emergency or warning lights are in operation.
(ii) All hazardous service vehicles shall conform to regular traffic signals and speed limits during their operation; and
(D) (i) Motor vehicles utilized as wreckers or tow vehicles permitted or licensed under 27-50-1203 may be equipped with amber flashing or rotating emergency or warning lights that shall not qualify them as emergency vehicles, but which shall only during hazardous uses display their amber flashing or rotating emergency or warning lights in order that other motorists and the public may be aware of the special or hazardous use of the wreckers or tow vehicles and exercise caution in approaching the wreckers or tow vehicles at all times while the amber flashing or rotating emergency or warning lights are in operation. Unless otherwise directed by a law enforcement officer, a wrecker or tow vehicle shall conform to regular signals and speed limits during its operation. In addition to amber flashing or rotating emergency or warning lights, wreckers or tow vehicles that respond to highway emergencies may be equipped with red flashing or rotating emergency or warning lights.
(ii) Red flashing or rotating emergency or warning lights on a wrecker or tow vehicle shall be operated only while the wrecker or tow vehicle is stopped on or within ten feet (10') of a public way and engaged in recovery or loading and hooking up an abandoned, an unattended, a disabled, or a wrecked vehicle. A wrecker or tow vehicle shall not operate forward-facing red flashing or rotating emergency or warning lights while underway, except as may be expressly authorized or required by law otherwise.
(2) It shall be unlawful to install, operate, or use any rotating or flashing light on any motor vehicle except as authorized in this subsection.
(e) "School bus" means:
(1) A motor vehicle designed to carry more than ten (10) passengers:
(A) Owned by a public or a governmental agency or a private school and operated for the transportation of students to or from school or school-sponsored activities; or
(B) Privately owned and operated for compensation for the transportation of students to or from school or school-sponsored activities; and
(2) A motor vehicle designed to carry more than twenty-five (25) passengers is exempt from this section if the motor vehicle is:
(A) Owned by a public or a governmental agency or a private school and operated for the transportation of students to or from school-sponsored activities but not used to transport students on any scheduled school bus route; or
(B) Privately owned and operated for compensation under contract to a school district and used for the transportation of students to or from school-sponsored activities.