An Act To Allow Animal Control Officers and Individuals Who Collect Trash To Use Flashing Amber Lights on Their Vehicles
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 0113
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: BROWNE, FITTS, FLETCHER, THOMPSON
Amends: 29-A MRSA §2054

Legislative Document 
No. 113 
H.P.89 
House of Representatives, January 11,2005 
An Act To Allow Animal Control Officers and Individuals Who 
Collect Trash To Use Flashing Amber Lights on Their Vehicles 
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative BROWNE of Vassalboro. 
Cosponsored by Senator SA V AGE of Knox and 
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MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representati ves: FINCH of Fairfield, FITTS of Pittsfield, FLETCHER of Winslow, 
THOMPSON of China. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §2054. sub-§2. ,C, as amended by PL 2003, c. 
209, §1, 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 in 
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' 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 
may 
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 
Page l-LR0063 (1) 
combination of strobes, that emits at a minimum a beam 
of 50 candlepower and provides visible light coverage 
over 
a 
360' 
range. 
However, 
the 
vehicle 
must 
be 
equipped with and must use such a light whenever the 
vehicle enters 
a 
public way while in the course of 
plowing 
private 
driveways 
and 
other 
off-highway 
locations. 
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 
vehjcle 
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 the front or 
rear, must be mounted at the same level and as 
widely spaced laterally RS possible. 
(d) 
The 
lights, 
whether 
used to 
the front or 
rear, must flash simultaneously. 
(e) 
The lights must be 
at 
least 
feet 
conditions at night. 
visible from a distance of 
under 
normal 
atmospheric 
(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 
a 
motor 
carrier 
inspector 
may 
auxiliary lights that emit an amber 
vehicle operated by 
be 
equipped 
wi th 
light. 
(8) 
A 
vehicle 
used 
by 
an 
animal 
control 
officer 
appointed pursuant to Title 7, 
section 3947 
may 
be 
equipped with auxiliary lights that emit 
a 
flashing 
amber light. 
(9) 
A refuse, garbage or trash business vehicle used 
by an individual to transport refuse, garbage and trash 
may 
be 
equipped with auxiliary lights that emit 
a 
flashing amber light. 
SUMMARY 
This bill adds animal control officers 
collect trash to the list authorizing use 
lights on vehicles. 
and businesses that 
of flashing 
amber