Pennsylvania Code › Title 67 - TRANSPORTATION › Part I - Department of Transportation › Subpart A - Vehicle Code Provisions › Article VII - Vehicle Characteristics › Chapter 173 - FLASHING OR REVOLVING LIGHTS ON EMERGENCY AND AUTHORIZED VEHICLES › Section 173.3 - Display requirements

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
(a)
Color.
White, clear, red, blue, amber or yellow are the only
					 colors permitted for use in flashing or revolving lights.
(1)
Chromaticity
					 coordinates.
A flashing, revolving or oscillating light must meet or
					 exceed the Chromaticity Coordinates, CIE 1931, Standard Colorimetric System as
					 provided in SAE Standard J578d, Color Specification for Electrical Signal
					 Lighting Devices, September 1978 or subsequent SAE Standards. This requirement
					 does not apply to flashing headlamp systems.
(2)
Red lights.
A vehicle
					 may display red lights as provided by
					 75 Pa.C.S. §
													4571
					 (relating to visual and audible signals on emergency vehicles).
(3)
Blue lights
. A vehicle
					 may display blue lights as provided for by
					 75 Pa.C.S. §
													4572(a) (relating to visual
					 signals on authorized vehicles). Vehicles described in
					 75 Pa.C.S. §
													4572(a) may be equipped with
					 a light-bar assembly using only blue lights. See Figure 3.1.
(4)
Combination red-and-blue
					 lights
. Vehicles listed under
					 75 Pa.C.S. §
													4571(b) may display
					 combination red-and-blue lights. The privately-owned vehicles defined as an
					 emergency vehicle under
					 75 Pa.C.S. §
													102
					 (relating to definitions) must be equipped under
					 75 Pa.C.S. §
													4571(a).
(5)
Yellow or amber lights
.
					 A vehicle may display yellow or amber lights as follows:
(i) Under
					 75 Pa.C.S. §
														4572(b), an authorized
					 vehicle as defined in
					 75 Pa.C.S. §
														102 and
					 designated in Chapter 15 (relating to authorized vehicles and special operating
					 privileges) may be equipped with flashing or revolving yellow or amber lights
					 or one or more light-bar assemblies containing only yellow or amber lights. See
					 Figure 3.1.
FIGURE 3.1
ILLUSTRATIONS OF LIGHT-BAR ASSEMBLIES
						*
Click
						to view image
(ii) An authorized vehicle which is used in
					 the construction, repair or maintenance of a bridge or highway maybe equipped
					 with traffic control emergency directional light assemblies.
(iii) Emergency vehicles may be equipped with
					 yellow or amber lights, in addition to traffic control emergency directional
					 light assemblies. The yel-low or amber lights shall be mounted on the rear of
					 the vehicle or face rearward so that they are visible from behind the vehicle.
(6)
White or
					 clear lights
. In addition to flashing or revolving red or combination
					 red-and-blue lights, an emergency vehicle may be equipped with a flashing
					 headlamp system and no more than one flashing, revolving or oscillating white
					 or clear light, or with a light-bar assembly containing no more than three
					 flashing, revolving or oscillating white or clear lights. The vehicle may also
					 be equipped with additional preemptive traffic control devices.
(i) When the light-bar assembly contains
					 three flashing, revolving or oscillating white or clear lights, the center
					 light must be mounted to flash white or clear light only to the
					 front.
(ii) When the vehicle is
					 stationary, the light-bar assembly may not display white or clear light to the
					 rear.
(iii) Flashing, revolving or
					 oscillating white or clear lights and flashing headlamp systems may only be
					 used in conjunction with the flashing or revolving red or combination
					 red-and-blue lights. Flashing, revolving or oscillating white or clear lights
					 and flashing headlamp systems that are not used in conjunction with flashing or
					 revolving red or combination red-and-blue lights do not constitute visual
					 signals under
					 75 Pa.C.S. §§
														3325 and
					 4571 (relating to duty of
					 driver on approach of emergency vehicle; and visual and audible signals on
					 emergency vehicles).
(7)
Steady burning lights
. Red, blue, amber or yellow nonflashing
					 or nonrevolving lights-steady burning lights-may be used in conjunction with
					 flashing or revolving lights.
(8)
Utility lights
. Clear or white forward or side facing steady
					 burning utility lights (that is, take down, alley, spotlight) may not be used
					 as a visual signal for purposes of
					 75 Pa.C.S. §
													3325.
					 These lights may be used while the vehicle is in motion or stationary for the
					 purpose of an emergency, for the safety of the public, or in the enforcement of
					 the law.
(9)
Other
					 lights
. A vehicle, other than those identified in this chapter, may
					 not be equipped with lights or systems identical or similar to those specified
					 by this subsection, except that school buses and urban mass transit buses which
					 will be used for carrying school children may be equipped with flashing lights
					 as permitted by
					 75 Pa.C.S. §§
													4552(b) and
					 4553(a) (relating to
					 general requirements for school buses; and general requirements for other
					 vehicles transporting school children), and Chapters 15 and 171 (relating to
					 school buses; and school buses and school vehicles).
(10)
Hazard warning systems and turn
					 signals
. Hazard warning systems and turn signals are not considered
					 flashing lights for the purposes of this chapter.