An Act to revise provisions regarding the use of certain lights by county highway department authorized vehicles.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of South Dakota:
Section 1. That § 32-17-42 be AMENDED:
32-17-42.
Any motor vehicle
authorized by the
Department of Transportation, a tow truck or wrecker as defined in
§ 32-17-10,
or a vehicle operated by a member of an organized fire department or
organized search and rescue unit or by a person who is an ambulance
driver, attendant, or emergency medical technician affiliated with a
licensed ambulance service may be equipped with blue lights. This
provision does not relieve the driver of
such a
the vehicle
from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons
using the street nor does it protect the driver
of any such vehicle
from the consequence of a reckless disregard of the safety of others.
No person may use a blue light
unless the person is authorized by this chapter and is
either
operating a Department of Transportation vehicle
or a county highway vehicle
in performance of their duties in maintaining the highway
in performance of winter highway maintenance duties,
or actually en route to the scene of a fire or other emergency
requiring the person's services and the person has been authorized in
writing to so use a blue light. The
authorization
Authorization for use of a blue light in accordance with this chapter
may be given by the Department of Transportation, highway patrol,
county
highway superintendent, chief
of
the
a fire
department, coordinator of
the
a search and
rescue unit, or operator or ambulance service director of
the
an ambulance
service only to members of the department or service who are in good
standing.
The
unauthorized
use of a blue light in violation of this section is a Class 2
misdemeanor.
Signed February 23, 2022
Catchlines are not law. (§ 2-16-13.1) Underscores indicate new language.
Overstrikes
indicate deleted language.