Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:351 – Horns and warning devices
Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:351
- 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
- Commissioner: means the secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections. 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
- Highway: means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way or place of whatever nature publicly maintained and open to the use of the public for the purpose of vehicular travel, including bridges, causeways, tunnels and ferries; synonymous with the word "street". 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
- 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
- person: includes a body of persons, whether incorporated or not. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 1:10
- 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.(1) Every motor vehicle when operated upon a highway of this state shall be equipped with a horn in good working order and capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than two hundred feet, but no horn or other warning device shall emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle. The driver of a motor vehicle shall, when reasonably necessary to ensure safe operation, give audible warning with his horn, but shall not otherwise use such horn when upon a highway of this state.
(2) Persons with mobility impairments, while operating a motor vehicle upon any state or local highway of this state, may utilize the horn of such vehicle if the nature of the operator‘s physical impairment requires use of the horn in a situation other than one required to ensure safe operation of the motor vehicle and the operator is operating a motor vehicle with a mobility impairment license plate or the operator has been issued a mobility impairment hang tag.
B. No vehicle shall be equipped with nor shall any person use upon a vehicle any siren, whistle or bell, except as otherwise permitted in this Section.
C. It is permissible but not required that any commercial vehicle be equipped with a theft alarm signal device which is so arranged that it cannot be used by the driver as an ordinary warning signal.
D. Any authorized emergency vehicle may be equipped with a siren, whistle, or bell capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than five hundred feet and of a type approved by the commissioner, but such siren shall not be used except when such vehicle is operated in response to an emergency call or in the immediate pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law, in which events the driver of the vehicle shall sound the siren when reasonably necessary to warn pedestrians and other drivers of the approach thereof. However, motor vehicles which are owned and operated by members of nonprofit corporations as provided in La. Rev. Stat. 12:201 et seq. and which are tax exempt in accordance with Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code, for exhibition in shows, parades, tours, and other special uses and not for general transportation may be equipped with a siren, whistle, or bell capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of up to five hundred feet but such sound equipment shall not be used except when such vehicle is participating in shows, parades, tours, and other special events.
Acts 1962, No. 310, §1. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 113, §1, eff. June 22, 1977; Acts 1995, No. 56, §1; Acts 2006, No. 488, §1; Acts 2014, No. 811, §16, eff. July 23, 2014.