March 16, 2004, Introduced by Reps. Voorhees, Middaugh, Garfield, Vander Veen, Nofs and Stahl and referred to the Committee on Transportation.
A bill to amend 1949 PA 300, entitled
"Michigan vehicle code,"
by amending sections 603 and 733 (MCL 257.603 and 257.733),
section 603 as amended by 1996 PA 587 and section 733 as amended
by 1994 PA 50.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
1 Sec. 603. (1) The provisions of this chapter applicable to
2 the drivers of vehicles upon the highway apply to the drivers of
3 all vehicles owned or operated by the United States, this state,
4 or a county, city, township, village, district, or any other
5 political subdivision of the state, subject to the specific
6 exceptions set forth in this chapter with reference to authorized
7 emergency vehicles.
8 (2) The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle when
9 responding to an emergency call, but not while returning from an
1 emergency call, or when pursuing or apprehending a person who has
2 violated or is violating the law or is charged with or suspected
3 of violating the law, may exercise the privileges set forth in
4 this section, subject to the conditions of this section.
5 (3) The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle may do any
6 of the following:
7 (a) Park or stand, irrespective of this act.
8 (b) Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only
9 after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation.
10 (c) Exceed the prima facie speed limits so long as he or she
11 does not endanger life or property.
12 (d) Disregard regulations governing direction of movement or
13 turning in a specified direction.
14 (4) The exemptions granted in this section to an authorized
15 emergency vehicle apply only when the driver of the vehicle while
16 in motion sounds an audible signal by bell, siren, air horn, or
17 exhaust whistle as may be reasonably necessary, except as
18 provided in subsection (5), and when the vehicle is equipped with
19 at least 1 lighted lamp displaying a flashing, oscillating, or
20 rotating red or blue light visible under normal atmospheric
21 conditions from a distance of 500 feet in a 360 degree arc unless
22 it is not advisable to equip a police vehicle operating as an
23 authorized emergency vehicle with a flashing, oscillating or
24 rotating light visible in a 360 degree arc. In those cases, a
25 police vehicle shall display a flashing, oscillating, or rotating
26 red or blue light visible under normal atmospheric conditions
27 from a distance of 500 feet to the front of the vehicle. Only
1 police vehicles that are publicly owned shall be equipped with a
2 flashing, oscillating, or rotating blue light that when activated
3 is visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of
4 500 feet in a 360 degree arc.
5 (5) A police vehicle shall retain the exemptions granted in
6 this section to an authorized emergency vehicle without sounding
7 an audible signal if the police vehicle is engaged in an
8 emergency run in which silence is required.
9 (6) The exemptions
provided for by under this section apply
10 to persons, teams, motor vehicles, and other equipment while
11 actually engaged in work upon the surface of a highway but do not
12 apply to those persons and vehicles when traveling to or from
13 work. The provisions of this chapter governing the size and
14 width of vehicles and the weight of vehicles designated to
15 distribute sand or winter salt do not apply to vehicles owned by
16 public highway authorities when the vehicles are proceeding to or
17 from work on public highways.
18 Sec. 733. (1) The department shall not release information
19 relating to an accident on the record of a driver to a
20 nongovernmental agency unless the driver was subsequently
21 convicted of or determined responsible for a violation of this
22 act in connection with the accident.
23 (2) The department shall not release information relating to
24 an accident on the record of a police officer, a fire fighter, a
25 public highway authority employee, or a person authorized to
26 operate an ambulance or other emergency vehicle to a
27 nongovernmental agency if the accident occurred while the person
1 was operating the vehicle during the course of his or her
2 employment.