(REPRINTED WITH ADOPTED AMENDMENTS)

 

Senate Bill No. 521–Committee on Transportation

 

March 26, 2001

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Referred to Committee on Transportation

 

SUMMARY—Revises provisions concerning use of siren by emergency vehicle. (BDR 43‑1474)

 

FISCAL NOTE:    Effect on Local Government: No.

                                 Effect on the State: No.

 

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

AN ACT relating to motor vehicles; making optional the use of a siren by an emergency vehicle; specifically authorizing an emergency vehicle to operate warning lamps without sounding the siren; providing that a driver of an emergency vehicle who operates the vehicle’s warning lamps without sounding the siren shall be deemed to have adequately warned pedestrians and other drivers of his approach; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

1-1    Section 1. NRS 484.261 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-2    484.261  1.  The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle or an

1-3  official vehicle of a regulatory agency, when responding to an emergency

1-4  call or when in pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law or when

1-5  responding to but not upon returning from a fire alarm, or a vehicle

1-6  escorting a funeral procession, may:

1-7    (a) Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only after slowing

1-8  down as may be necessary for safe operation.

1-9    (b) Exceed any speed limits so long as he does not endanger life or

1-10  property, except that a vehicle escorting a funeral procession may not

1-11  exceed the speed limit by more than 15 miles per hour to overtake the

1-12  procession and direct traffic at the next intersection.

1-13    (c) Disregard regulations governing direction of movement or turning in

1-14  specified directions. The driver of a vehicle escorting a funeral procession

1-15  may direct the movements of the vehicles in the procession in a similar

1-16  manner and may direct the movements of other vehicles.

1-17    2.  The privileges granted in subsection 1 apply only when the vehicle

1-18  is making use of [audible] :

1-19    (a) Audible and visual signals ; or

1-20    (b) Visual signals only,

1-21  as required by law.

2-1    3.  The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle or an official vehicle

2-2  of a regulatory agency may park or stand without regard to the provisions

2-3  of this chapter if he makes use of a warning lamp.

2-4    4.  The provisions of this section do not relieve the driver from the duty

2-5  to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons and do not protect the

2-6  driver from the consequences of his reckless disregard for the safety of

2-7  others.

2-8    Sec. 2.  NRS 484.607 is hereby amended to read as follows:

2-9    484.607  1.  Every motor vehicle when operated upon a highway must

2-10  be equipped with a horn in good working order and capable of emitting

2-11  sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than 200

2-12  feet, but the horn or other warning device must not emit an unreasonably

2-13  loud or harsh sound or a whistle.

2-14    2.  A person driving a motor vehicle shall, when reasonably necessary

2-15  to ensure safe operation, give audible warning with his horn, but shall not

2-16  otherwise use the horn when upon a highway.

2-17    3.  A vehicle must not be equipped with, and a person shall not use

2-18  upon a vehicle, a siren, whistle or bell, except as otherwise provided in this

2-19  chapter.

2-20    4.  It is permissible, but not required, to equip a vehicle with a theft

2-21  alarm which is arranged so that it cannot be used by the driver as an

2-22  ordinary warning signal.

2-23    5.  An authorized emergency vehicle may be equipped with a siren,

2-24  whistle or bell, capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions

2-25  from a distance of not less than 500 feet, but the siren must not be used

2-26  except when the vehicle is operated in response to an emergency call or in

2-27  the immediate pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law, in

2-28  which event the driver of the vehicle [shall] may sound the siren [when

2-29  necessary] to warn pedestrians and other drivers of his approach. A driver

2-30  of an emergency vehicle may operate the vehicle’s warning lamps

2-31  without sounding the siren.

2-32    6.  A driver of an emergency vehicle who operates the vehicle’s

2-33  warning lamps without sounding the siren shall be deemed to have

2-34  adequately warned pedestrians and other drivers of his approach for the

2-35  purpose of determining whether the driver met the duty to drive with due

2-36  regard for the safety of all persons pursuant to NRS 484.261.

 

2-37  H