Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:318 – A. Every authorized emergency vehicle, except privately owned vehicles belonging to members of an organized volunteer fire department or fire district shall, in addition to any other
Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:318
- Authorized emergency vehicle: means a vehicle of a fire department, a vehicle of the department's weights and standards police force, a police vehicle, a private vehicle, a privately owned vehicle belonging to members of an organized volunteer fire department or fire district when so designated or authorized by the fire chief of that fire department or fire district, an industrial-owned vehicle assigned to members of a fire department or fire district when so designated or authorized by the fire chief of that fire department or fire district, a vehicle parked or stopped by elevator repair or construction personnel while responding to an elevator emergency, such as ambulances and emergency medical response vehicles certified by the Louisiana Department of Health that are operated by certified ambulance services, and emergency vehicles of municipal departments or public service corporations as are designated or authorized by the secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development or by the chief of police of any incorporated municipality. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
- Department: means the Department of Transportation and Development. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
- Driver: means every person who drives or is in actual physical control of a vehicle. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
- Motor vehicle: means every vehicle which is self-propelled, and every vehicle which is propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires, but not operated upon rails, but excluding a motorized bicycle and an electric-assisted bicycle. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- Operator: means every person, other than a chauffeur, who drives or is in actual physical control of a motor vehicle upon a highway or who is exercising control over or steering a vehicle being towed by a motor vehicle. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
- Right of way: means the privilege of the immediate use of the highway. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
- School bus: means every motor vehicle that is used to transport students to and from school or in connection with school activities, but not including a charter bus or transit bus. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
- Secretary: means the secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development or his delegated or authorized representative. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
- Stop: means , when required, the complete cessation from movement. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
- Vehicle: means every device by which persons or things may be transported upon a public highway or bridge, except devices moved by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:1
A. Every authorized emergency vehicle, except privately owned vehicles belonging to members of an organized volunteer fire department or fire district shall, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive markings required by this Chapter, be equipped with a siren, exhaust whistle, or bell capable of giving an audible signal.
B.(1) Every school bus that is used to transport students to and from home or school bus stops shall, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive markings required by this Chapter, be equipped with four amber and four red school bus signal lamps.
(2)(a) Every school bus that is used to transport students to and from home or school bus stops and that has a rated capacity of sixteen or more passengers including the operator shall also be equipped with two stop signal arms mounted on the left side of the bus.
(b) Every school bus that is used to transport students to and from home or school bus stops and that has a rated capacity of ten to fifteen passengers including the operator shall also be equipped with at least one stop signal arm mounted on the left side of the bus.
C. Every authorized emergency vehicle shall, in addition to any equipment and distinctive markings required by this Chapter, be equipped with signal lamps mounted as high and as widely spaced laterally as practicable, which shall be capable of displaying to the front two alternately flashing red lights located at the same level and to the rear two alternately flashing red lights located at the same level, and these lights shall have sufficient intensity to be visible at five hundred feet in normal sunlight. In lieu of the alternately flashing red lights in the front, an authorized emergency vehicle may be equipped with a large revolving red light on the roof which is discernible in all directions and which shall also have sufficient intensity to be visible at five hundred feet in normal sunlight. In lieu of the large revolving red light on the roof, authorized emergency vehicles of organized fire companies only shall be equipped with a large revolving alternating red and white light on the roof encased in a clear dome, which is discernible in all directions and which shall also have sufficient intensity to be visible at five hundred feet in normal sunlight.
D. A police vehicle when used as an authorized emergency vehicle may, but need not, be equipped with alternately flashing red lights specified herein.
E. The use of the signal equipment described herein shall impose upon drivers of other vehicles the obligation to yield the right of way and to stop as prescribed in La. Rev. Stat. 32:80 and 32:125.
F.(1) In lieu of the alternating flashing red lights in the front of the vehicle, or of the large revolving red light on the roof of the vehicle, all law enforcement officers are hereby authorized to equip, operate, and use motor vehicles with blue colored electric emergency lights in the exercise of their official duties. These lights shall have sufficient intensity to be visible at five hundred feet in normal sunlight.
(2) All persons other than law enforcement officers on official duty are prohibited from equipping, operating, or using motor vehicles with blue colored electric lights thereon.
G.(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, privately owned motor vehicles belonging to members of the emergency medical team as designated by the commander of the United States Army Community Hospital at Fort Polk may be equipped with a large flashing red light which shall have sufficient intensity to be visible at five hundred feet in normal sunlight.
(2) The commander shall submit the name and motor vehicle license number of each member of the emergency medical team to the secretary of the Department of Public Safety and the secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development.
(3) The secretary of the Department of Public Safety shall issue, after review and recommendation of the secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development, to each team member a letter of authorization for the use of the light whenever the member is en route to the hospital in an emergency as declared by the hospital commander.
(4) The letter of authorization shall be located within the vehicle for which it has been issued. The provisions of La. Rev. Stat. 32:24 shall extend to the driver of any vehicle issued the letter of authorization under this Subsection.
H. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, all publicly owned fire department vehicles and all licensed ambulances may use blue-colored electric lights. The lights shall be on the rear of the vehicle and shall not exceed fifty percent of the visual lights. For purposes of this Section, the term “ambulance” shall have the meaning ascribed in La. Rev. Stat. 40:1131.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1. Amended by Acts 1966, No. 147, §1; Acts 1966, No. 225, §1; Acts 1966, No. 373, §1; Acts 1977, No. 262, §1, eff. July 7, 1977; Acts 1980, No. 160, §1; Acts 1983, No. 100, §1; Acts 2010, No. 592, §1; Acts 2010, No. 861, §14; Acts 2014, No. 518, §1; Acts 2018, No. 247, §1; Acts 2022, No. 640, §2.