An Act To Allow a Newspaper Carrier To Use Flashing Amber Lights on That Carrier's Vehicle
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 0173
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: FINLEY, CURTIS, PINKHAM, MILLS

Legislative Document 
No. 173 
H.P. 155 
House of Representati ves, January 16, 2007 
An Act To Allow a Newspaper Carrier To Use Flashing Amber 
Lights on That Carrier's Vehicle 
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative FINLEY of Skowhegan. 
'17/~ 117· 7l!tU~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Cosponsored by Representatives: CRA Y of Palmyra, CURTIS of Madison, PINKHAM of 
Lexington Township, Senator: MILLS of Somerset. 
Printt'u Ull rt'l:ydeLl r.lper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 29-A MRS A §2054, sub-§2, ~C, as amended by PL 2005, c. 482, §4, is 
further amended to read: 
C. 
The use of amber lights on vehicles is governed by the following. 
(I) 
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 an auxiliary light that provides visible light 
coverage over a 360' range. The light must emit an amber beam of light and be 
equipped with a blinking or strobe light function and have sufficient intensity to 
be visible at 500 feet in normal daylight. 
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 combination of strobes, that emits at a minimum a 
beam of 50 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 the front or rear, must be mounted at the 
same level and as widely spaced laterally as possible. 
(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 500 feet in normal 
daylight. 
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(6) A vehicle used or provided by a contract security company to assist in traffic 
control and direction at construction or maintenance sites on a public way may be 
equipped with amber auxiliary lights. Effective July 1, 1996, the auxiliary lights 
must be amber. Prior to July 1, 1996, the auxiliary lights must be green or 
arnber--c 
(7) A Department of Public Safety vehicle operated by a motor carrier inspector 
may be equipped with auxiliary lights that emit an amber 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. 
(l0) A vehicle used by an individual to transport and deliver newspapers may be 
equipped with auxiliary lights that emit a flashing amber light. 
SUMMARY 
This bill authorizes the use of flashing amber lights on newspaper delivery carriers' 
vehicles.