An Act to Require Flashing Lights for Private Snow Plows
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0197
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: BENNETT, MARTIN, CHURCHILL, JACKSON, PARADIS, SMITH, USHER, WOTTON, YOUNG, KNEELAND

Legislative Document 
No. 197 
H.P.156 
House of Representatives, January 21,2003 
An Act to Require Flashing Lights for Private Snow Plows 
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative BENNETT of Caribou. 
Cosponsored by Senator MARTIN of Aroostook and 
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MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: CHURCHILL of Wash bum, JACKSON of Fort Kent, PARADIS of 
Frenchville, SMITH of Van Buren, USHER of Westbrook, WOTTON of Littleton, YOUNG of 
Limestone, Senator: KNEELAND of Aroostook. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 29-A MRS A §2054, sub-§2, 1[C, as amended by PL 2001, c. 
360, §6, is further amended to read: 
C. 
The use of amber lights on vehicles is governed by the 
following. 
(1) 
A vehicle engaged in highway maintenance or ln 
emergency rescue operations by civil defense and public 
safety agencies and a public utility emergency service 
vehicle may be equipped with auxiliary lights that emit 
an amber light. 
(2) 
A wrecker must be equipped with a flashing light 
mounted on top of the vehicle in such a manner as to 
emit an amber light over a 360 0 
angle. 
The light must 
be in use on a public way or a place where public 
traffic may reasonably be anticipated when servicing, 
freeing, loading, unloading or towing a vehicle. 
(3) 
A vehicle engaged in 
snow 
removal 
or 
sanding 
operations on a public way must be equipped with and 
display at least 
auxiliary lights mounted on the 
highest practical point 
on the vehicle 
and provide 
visible light coverage over a 360
range. 
The lights 
must emit an amber beam of light, be at least 6 inches 
in diameter and be equipped with blinking attachments. 
In lieu of the lights specified, 
a 
vehicle may 
be 
equipped with at least one auxiliary rotating flashing 
light having 4-inch sealed beams 
and 
showing 
amber 
beams of light over a 360
range or an amber strobe, or 
combination of strobes, that emits at a minimum a beam 
of 1,000,000 candlepower 
and provides visible light 
coverage over a 360
range. 
When the left wing of a 
plow is in operation and extends over the center of the 
road, an auxiliary light must show the extreme end of 
the left wing. 
That light may 
be attached to the 
vehicle so that the beam of light points at the left 
wing. 
The light illuminating the left wing may 
be 
controlled by 
a 
separate switch or 
by 
the 
regular 
lighting system and must be in operation at all times 
when the vehicle is used for plowing snow on public 
ways. 
(4) 
A vehicle equipped and used for plowing snow on 
other than public ways 
FRay must be equipped with an 
auxiliary rotary flashing light that must be mounted on 
top of the vehicle in such a manner as to emit an amber 
beam of light over a 360
angle, or an amber strobe, or 
ways 
combination of strobes, that emits at a minimum a beam 
of 
1,000,000 
candlepower 
and provides visible light 
coverage over a 360
range. 
The light may be in use on 
a 
public way only when the vehicle is entering the 
public way in the course of plowing private driveways 
and other off-highway locations. 
(5) 
A 
rural 
mail 
vehicle 
may 
be 
equipped 
with 
auxiliary lights. 
(a) 
The lights used to the front must be white or 
amber, or any shade between white and amber. 
(b) 
The lights used to the rear must be amber or 
red, or any shade between amber and red. 
(c) 
The lights, whether 
used to 
rear, must be mounted at the same 
widely spaced laterally as possible. 
the front 
level and 
or 
as 
(d) 
The lights, whether 
used to the front or 
rear, must flash simultaneously. 
(e) 
The lights must be visible from a distance of 
at 
least 
feet 
under 
normal 
atmospheric 
conditions at night. 
(6) 
A vehicle used or provided by a 
company to assist in traffic control 
construction or maintenance sites on 
be equipped with auxiliary lights. 
1996, 
the auxiliary lights must be 
July 1, 1996, the auxiliary lights 
amber. 
contract security 
and direction at 
a public way may 
Effective July L 
amber. 
Prior to 
must be green or 
(7) 
A Department of Public Safety vehicle operated by 
a 
motor 
carrier 
inspector 
may 
be 
equipped 
wi th 
auxiliary lights that emit an amber light. 
SUMMARY 
This bill requires vehicles used for plowing snow on private 
to be equipped with a rotary amber flashing light.