# driving with caution light on



## danm yankee (Oct 18, 2009)

sometimes i forget to turn off my caution light when driving between accounts especially during the day when i cant really see it flashing.Just wondering if it is legal to drive down main roads while not plowing with caution light on.I see other guys driving around with there lights on and i just assume they forgot to turn theirs off to.Seems like it would be a good idea to just leave it on somtimes like when it is snowing really hard so people can see you.anybody have any thoughts on this or know what laws are,if any regarding leaving flasher on when not plowing?


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## Outd00r Maint.. (Nov 17, 2009)

i dont think it matters,i always forget mine on..


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## paradise1229 (Jan 5, 2009)

I see it as an attention getter! Ever been drawn to pretty red and blue lights?


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## Tosa93F250 (Dec 4, 2009)

This is a question you are best off asking at your local police department. Laws can vary from city to city and state to state.


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## m297 (Aug 27, 2007)

danm yankee;903367 said:


> sometimes i forget to turn off my caution light when driving between accounts especially during the day when i cant really see it flashing.Just wondering if it is legal to drive down main roads while not plowing with caution light on.I see other guys driving around with there lights on and i just assume they forgot to turn theirs off to.Seems like it would be a good idea to just leave it on somtimes like when it is snowing really hard so people can see you.anybody have any thoughts on this or know what laws are,if any regarding leaving flasher on when not plowing?


In Michigan it is illegal to drive with your caution light on. Is it enforced? Probably not, but it gives the Police a reason to stop you if they have nothing better to do.


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## procut1 (Jan 21, 2004)

Most states and most areas its not legal.

However its rarely enforced.

I turn mine on when I get in the truck at the beginning of the storm and turn it off when Im home a day or two later.


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## Harleychvy (Nov 24, 2008)

procut1;903446 said:


> Most states and most areas its not legal.
> 
> However its rarely enforced.
> 
> I turn mine on when I get in the truck at the beginning of the storm and turn it off when Im home a day or two later.


I do the same with mine and have never had a issue.


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## Lazer Man (Nov 17, 2000)

I personally don't drive around with my warning lights on. I look at it this way if all plow trucks drove constantly with their warning lights on, I would think that over time people would get so used to the amber lights( or blue used by our freinds up north) being on all the time they would lose the effectiveness of alerting drivers of danger by those drivers becoming so used to seeing those lights. I only use my lights when actively plowing or salting.

Bob :waving: :waving:


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## theonlybull (Oct 17, 2004)

i know it's illegal here to plow without one on.... driving, i don't think there's a law against it. if i'm goin from driveway to driveway i leave it on. if i'm just driving i turn it off


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## Burkartsplow (Nov 1, 2007)

I turn them on when I get to the lot and off when I leave the lot. I only turn them on when I am driving if we are having a blizzard or high winds with blowing snow all over the place and visibility is minimal.


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## F-SERIES BEAST (Dec 12, 2009)

lol.. i forget often myself, never had an issue with the police in pa.. but there's always that local kid who read to much and just got his badge...


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## Bruce'sEx (Sep 16, 2006)

Depends on area and other things.

For us here, Amber lights can be left on and you won't be bothered.
Blue lights and an officer may stop you.


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## plowmanben (Feb 7, 2009)

m297;903432 said:


> In Michigan it is illegal to drive with your caution light on. Is it enforced? Probably not, but it gives the Police a reason to stop you if they have nothing better to do.


My cousin got pulled over by a weigh-master last season for leaving hid on @ 2 a.m. when there was no one around. He got let go with a warning but I want to say if he were to get a ticket It would have been around a $100 fine, but I can't remember exactly what they told him it would be.


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## lawn king (Nov 21, 2004)

Plowing without an amber emergency light on your roof is a $100. fine here in taxachusetts!


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## AndyTblc (Dec 16, 2006)

People in Michigan used to plow in my area without out an amber light, but this year, I;ve noticed trucks that never used to have them, including my neighbor whom I am very supprised who said "they can kiss my @**, I am never putting no dumb @** light on my truck" He how has an inexpensive amber strobe on the top of his truck. A bunch of people do now, so who knows what happened there. But some accounts I leave mine on espessially if it's 2 houses down or something, but the cops in Wayland are so strict that it's not worth the risk


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## redman6565 (Jul 14, 2008)

i always leave them on, specially our bigger six wheelers


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## Deco (Nov 14, 2009)

In Pa. warning lights are for loading and unloading on the highway . if it was for towing , all tractor trailers would have one . 

what you do on private property is your business .


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## BOSSMAN21 (Dec 11, 2008)

Here where I live, it is IIlegal not to have a warning light on while plowing. Driving, it doesn't matter, but I keep mine on just to warn other motorists, especially at night, that I have a 9 foot object hanging off the front of my truck. I just feel as though it makes it safer for all who are on the road.


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## tuney443 (Jun 25, 2006)

I always leave mine on and when I'm not in a Winter event mode and I come up on a construction site,accident,or if I'm stopped behind a blinking schoolbus around a blind turn,it will come on.It can only help,not hinder--that's the way I look at it.


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## mansf123 (Nov 10, 2009)

Not that most morons in their little cars pay attention to the warning lights anyways


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## Mark13 (Dec 3, 2006)

I turn mine off if I'm on the road for more then probably 500ft.


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## plowmanben (Feb 7, 2009)

mansf123;903988 said:


> Not that most morons in their little cars pay attention to the warning lights anyways


This is very true I had a account last year that was right behind a bar, and If I was there around closing time I really had to watch out for cars and stumbling people. They would come right into the lot I was clearing. I thought for sure by the end of the season I would have buried someone in a snow bank...it sure kept me on my toes while I was there!


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## TommyMac (Nov 20, 2009)

mansf123;903988 said:


> Not that most morons in their little cars pay attention to the warning lights anyways


:laughing: Last year I was sanding the on-ramps to 495 from RT.1 & had some jackass  try to pass me & ended up in the infield with about 2' of snow


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## vamootsman (Oct 5, 2008)

If you turn it off, how's local law enforcement supposed to know that your're on your way home after 40 hours of straigh work, with a beer in the cup holder, and that you are too be left alone, since you just cleared the lot that their wives are going to shop at the next day and are thirsty?


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## theonlybull (Oct 17, 2004)

mansf123;903988 said:


> Not that most morons in their little cars pay attention to the warning lights anyways


belive me. most morons don't see our big red trucks, with red and white lights flashing.. plus a siren to help...... i don't expect them to see an amber....

really hard to see them past your egg mcmuffin, coffee, and morning paper anyway


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## doo-man (Feb 22, 2009)

AndyTblc;903924 said:


> People in Michigan used to plow in my area without out an amber light, but this year, I;ve noticed trucks that never used to have them, including my neighbor whom I am very supprised who said "they can kiss my @**, I am never putting no dumb @** light on my truck" He how has an inexpensive amber strobe on the top of his truck. A bunch of people do now, so who knows what happened there. But some accounts I leave mine on espessially if it's 2 houses down or something, but the cops in Wayland are so strict that it's not worth the risk


Really? I am very good friends with the chief in Wayland and I think they are pretty lenient as they also let snowmobiles ride within the city limits and don't give them must scuff! I would like to know if you have personally been stopped and what the out come was! I have driven with with my amber over head and hide-a-ways(red tails-white fronts) and amber leds on and not been stopped and had several city/county/state units pass by and nothing! I would like to think yours may have been an isolated incident...

I do usually turn everything off but have on occasion forgot as mentioned above ! But I agree it will lessen the effectiveness and warning to people if we do it all the time...


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## jlouki01 (Sep 21, 2006)

The state boys run theirs all the time.. I run mine all the time for the same reason. Safety. I have a plow that sticks out 5' from the nose of my truck with no lights or markers cocked 30 degrees to the curb. That means oncoming traffic whiffs the front corner of my blade when they pass. I leave them on so people know to pay attn it's a plow truck. 

Lights and backup alarms. Don't leave home without em.


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## MahonLawnCare (Nov 18, 2007)

> The state boys run theirs all the time.. I run mine all the time for the same reason. Safety. I have a plow that sticks out 5' from the nose of my truck with no lights or markers cocked 30 degrees to the curb. That means oncoming traffic whiffs the front corner of my blade when they pass. I leave them on so people know to pay attn it's a plow truck.


Couldn't have said it any better myself...I do the same thing with mine


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## show-n-go (Feb 5, 2009)

jlouki01;905111 said:


> The state boys run theirs all the time.. I run mine all the time for the same reason. Safety. I have a plow that sticks out 5' from the nose of my truck with no lights or markers cocked 30 degrees to the curb. That means oncoming traffic whiffs the front corner of my blade when they pass. I leave them on so people know to pay attn it's a plow truck.
> 
> Lights and backup alarms. Don't leave home without em.


Same here. If the plow is on my truck as soon as i hit the road i turn it on.. It can only help. In Ohio where i live i don't think the police really care as long as it's not red and blue.


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## Ramairfreak98ss (Aug 17, 2005)

m297;903432 said:


> In Michigan it is illegal to drive with your caution light on. Is it enforced? Probably not, but it gives the Police a reason to stop you if they have nothing better to do.


same in most states, your supposed to get a permit, which most say you can ONLY have if your a state vehicle or DOT.. which we are not.. will you get pulled over in a storm, i doubt it.

when its really bad, we leave all the lights on


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## jzeller4 (Oct 2, 2008)

if my blade is on then my light is on, better safe then sorry, here in ohio you got to have a light or you get a fine,


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## balky22 (Nov 18, 2007)

we run with our's on while the snowis falling after the snow just run them while we are working the lot . but shut them off between lots. i was pulled over for it and was told it's against the law to drive down the road with them on , didn't get a ticket but i think he wanted me for speeding any way. thats my to cents. dosen't really matter know one ever gives our trucks an extra inch when plowing.


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## Cfish (Jan 15, 2008)

*amber lights*

If I remember correctly P.A. 300 motor vehicle code of Michigan says A vehicle doing snow removal must display a amber light with 360 visibility.I do not recall a turn off requirement between stops. I have been hit 2 times buy dumb drivers. First question of police is did you have your warning lights on? No tickets.. Best to check with local law to get their slant on it. 
Ps. Light on, shows due-diligence to warn others you are doing something out of the ordinary. 
Cfish


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## jzeller4 (Oct 2, 2008)

well put cfish


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## paradise1229 (Jan 5, 2009)

Went to a local industry meeting. Ohio state troopers were theree explaining some of the laws. I gave them this question:

(pointing to my truck that is visibally seen) Do I still Require a light on top even though I have clearance lights? 

The officer said I do not need lights. (lightbar) I am legal. 

How can that be?


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## Plowtoy (Dec 15, 2001)

the cops in Wayland are so strict that it's not worth the risk[/QUOTE]

Thats because there are no DONUT shops there:laughing:


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## paradise1229 (Jan 5, 2009)

Plowtoy;907813 said:


> the cops in Wayland are so strict that it's not worth the risk


Thats because there are no DONUT shops there:laughing:[/QUOTE]

Bad cop! No Donut!


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## mercer_me (Sep 13, 2008)

I leave mine on all the time becouse if I shut them off I sometimes forget to turn them back on.


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## jzeller4 (Oct 2, 2008)

i even run mine if its foggy out, i like being seen without a tow truck present, LOL !!!!!!


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## Deco (Nov 14, 2009)

mercer_me;908048 said:


> I leave mine on all the time becouse if I shut them off I sometimes forget to turn them back on.


another Pa law requires the vehicle to have an illuminated on/off switch , so that doesn't happen .


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## snocrete (Feb 28, 2009)

When I get into an area where I have multiple jobs that I do, I will leave it on. If I am traveling any kind of distance or on the interstate, I will shut it off.......I suppose in really bad storms where visibilty is really bad, leaving it on all the time probably is safer for everyone.


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## ultimate plow (Jul 2, 2002)

I only flip the switches when im plowing or salting. No need to drive around with them on. Unless its a blizzard then who cares.


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## CarharttComando (Dec 20, 2009)

In, MI if you are not city or county municiple it is illegal to have your strobe going on a public access road, that being said local area law enforcement may let you get away with it but MI State Police, Oakland County Sheriffs, and Depart. of Trans. (DOT)... will nail you to the wall...Good luck, and make sure you have a chauffeur. lic. and an up to date medical card they like to right tickets with increasing regularity to produce revenue, cause everyone is moving out of MI...thanks a lot Granholm for 7-10 % unemployment


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## Maine_Train (Dec 16, 2009)

Maine law (right off the state site):
Title 29-A: MOTOR VEHICLES
Chapter 19: OPERATION 
Subchapter 1: RULES OF THE ROAD
§2054. Emergency and auxiliary lights; sirens; privileges 
2. Authorized lights. Authorized lights are governed as follows. 
C. The use of amber lights on vehicles is governed by the following.
(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._ {Italics added.}

As mentioned, if you're just scooting between jobs and forget to turn it off, you probably won't get stopped. Like somebody said, "due diligence" to warn the dimbulbs who are out just riding around in the storm, admiring all the _other_ flakes.


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## ajslands (Sep 3, 2009)

CarharttComando;916968 said:


> In, MI if you are not city or county municiple it is illegal to have your strobe going on a public access road, that being said local area law enforcement may let you get away with it but MI State Police, Oakland County Sheriffs, and Depart. of Trans. (DOT)... will nail you to the wall...Good luck, and make sure you have a chauffeur. lic. and an up to date medical card they like to right tickets with increasing regularity to produce revenue, cause everyone is moving out of MI...thanks a lot Granholm for 7-10 % unemployment


if its snowing to where visibility is next to none or none. then screw that law, or iff iam pulling a car out of a ditch, when i want people to see me. but its a stupid law anyways, and if its snowing and i have it on and get pulled over ill just ask them if they have better things to be doing, like aiding a traffic accident, or eating doughnuts. but i also have hideaway strobes which i understand being illeagle.wesport


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## Winfrey (Nov 3, 2009)

in michigan it is illegal to leave them on while on the roads, i got pulled over last year and so did my buddy but neiter of us got tickets. i usually turn mine off but i was just going like 3/4s of a mile down the road during a snow strom so i didnt see no point in shutting it off!


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## ajslands (Sep 3, 2009)

Here is the law as it is written........*concentrate on section F*.

However as long as you are on private property you would be fine.

257.698 Side cowl or fender lamps; running board courtesy lamp; backing lights; lamp or reflector; flashing, oscillating, or rotating lights; private motor vehicle of security guard agency or alarm company; use of lights authorized or required under MCL 257.697, 257.697a, and 257.698a; violation as civil infraction.

Sec. 698.

(1) A motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than 2 side cowl or fender lamps which shall emit an amber or white light without glare.

(2) A motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than 1 running board courtesy lamp on each side which shall emit a white or amber light without glare.

(3) Backing lights of red, amber, or white may be mounted on the rear of a motor vehicle if the switch controlling the light is so arranged that the light may be turned on only if the vehicle is in reverse gear. The backing lights when unlighted shall be covered or otherwise arranged so as not to reflect objectionable glare in the eyes of a driver of a vehicle approaching from the rear.

(4) Unless both covered and unlit, a vehicle driven on the highways of this state shall not be equipped with a lamp or a part designed to be a reflector unless expressly required or permitted by this chapter or that meets the standards prescribed in 49 C.F.R. 571.108. A lamp or a part designed to be a reflector, if visible from the front, shall display or reflect a white or amber light; if visible from either side, shall display or reflect an amber or red light; and if visible from the rear, shall display or reflect a red light, except as otherwise provided by law.

(5) The use or possession of flashing, oscillating, or rotating lights of any color is prohibited except as otherwise provided by law, or under the following circumstances:

(a) A police vehicle shall be equipped with flashing, rotating, or oscillating red or blue lights, for use in the performance of police duties.

(b) A fire vehicle or ambulance available for public use or for use of the United States, the state, or any unit of the state, whether publicly or privately owned, shall be equipped with flashing, rotating, or oscillating red lights and used as required for safety.

(c) An authorized emergency vehicle as defined in section 2 may be equipped with flashing, rotating, or oscillating red lights for use when responding to an emergency call if when in use the flashing, rotating, or oscillating red lights are mounted on the roof section of the vehicle, either as a permanent installation or by means of suction cups or magnets and are clearly visible in a 360 degree arc from a distance of 500 feet when in use. A person operating lights under this subdivision at any time other than when responding to an emergency call is guilty of a misdemeanor.

(d) Flashing, rotating, or oscillating amber lights, placed in a position as to be visible throughout an arc of 360 degrees, shall be used by a state, county, or municipal vehicle engaged in the removal of ice, snow, or other material from the highway and in other operations designed to control ice and snow.

(e) A vehicle used for the cleanup of spills or a necessary emergency response action taken pursuant to state or federal law or a vehicle operated by an employee of the department of natural resources that responds to a spill, emergency response action, complaint, or compliance activity may be equipped with flashing, rotating, or oscillating amber lights. Such lights shall not be activated unless the vehicle is at the scene of a spill, emergency response action, complaint, or compliance activity.

(f) A vehicle to perform public utility service, a vehicle owned or leased by and licensed as a business for use in the collection and hauling of refuse, an automobile service car or wrecker, a vehicle engaged in authorized highway repair or maintenance, a vehicle of a peace officer, a vehicle operated by a rural letter carrier or a person under contract to deliver newspapers or other publications by motor route, a vehicle utilized for snow removal, a private security guard vehicle as authorized in subsection (7), a motor vehicle while engaged in escorting or transporting an oversize load that has been issued a permit by the state transportation department or a local authority with respect to highways under its jurisdiction, a vehicle owned by the national guard or a United States military vehicle while traveling under the appropriate recognized military authority, a motor vehicle while towing an implement of husbandry, or an implement of husbandry may be equipped with flashing, rotating, or oscillating amber lights. However, a wrecker may be equipped with flashing, rotating, or oscillating red lights which shall be activated only when the wrecker is engaged in removing or assisting a vehicle at the scene of a traffic accident or disablement. The flashing, rotating, or oscillating amber lights shall not be activated except in those circumstances that the warning produced by the lights is required for public safety.

(g) A vehicle engaged in leading or escorting a funeral procession or any vehicle that is part of a funeral procession may be equipped with flashing, rotating, or oscillating purple or amber lights which shall not be activated except during a funeral procession.

(h) An authorized emergency vehicle may display flashing, rotating, or oscillating white lights in conjunction with an authorized emergency light as prescribed in this section.

(i) A private motor vehicle of a physician responding to an emergency call may be equipped with and the physician may use flashing, rotating, or oscillating red lights mounted on the roof section of the vehicle either as a permanent installation or by means of magnets or suction cups and clearly visible in a 360 degree arc from a distance of 500 feet when in use. The physician shall first obtain written authorization from the county sheriff.

(j) A public transit vehicle may be equipped with a flashing, oscillating, or rotating light mounted on the roof of the vehicle approximately 6 feet from the rear of the vehicle which displays a white light to the front, side, and rear of the vehicle, which light may be actuated by the driver for use only in inclement weather such as fog, rain, or snow, when boarding or discharging passengers, from 1/2 hour before sunset until 1/2 hour after sunrise, or where conditions hinder the visibility of the public transit vehicle. As used in this subdivision, "public transit vehicle" means a motor vehicle, other than a station wagon or passenger van, with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds.

(k) A person engaged in the manufacture, sale, or repair of flashing, rotating, or oscillating lights governed by this subsection may possess the lights for the purpose of employment, but shall not activate the lights upon the highway unless authorized to do so under subsection (6).

(6) A person shall not sell, loan, or otherwise furnish a flashing, rotating, or oscillating blue or red light designed primarily for installation on an authorized emergency vehicle to a person except a police officer, sheriff, deputy sheriff, authorized physician, volunteer or paid fire fighter, volunteer ambulance driver, licensed ambulance driver or attendant of the state, a county or municipality within the state, a person engaged in the business of operating an ambulance or wrecker service, or a federally recognized nonprofit charitable organization which owns and operates an emergency support vehicle used exclusively for emergencies. This subsection does not prohibit an authorized vehicle, equipped with flashing, rotating, or oscillating blue or red lights, from being operated by a person other than a person described in this section if the person receives authorization to operate the emergency vehicle from a police officer, sheriff, deputy sheriff, authorized physician, volunteer or paid fire fighter, volunteer ambulance driver, licensed ambulance driver or attendant, a person operating an ambulance or wrecker service, or a federally recognized nonprofit charitable organization which owns and operates an emergency support vehicle used exclusively for emergencies, except that the authorization shall not permit the person to operate lights as described in subsection (5)(a), (b), (c), (i), or (j), or to exercise the privileges described in section 603. A person who operates an authorized emergency vehicle in violation of the terms of an authorization is guilty of a misdemeanor.

(7) A private motor vehicle of a security guard agency or alarm company licensed pursuant to the private security guard act of 1968, 1968 PA 330, MCL 338.1051 to 338.1085, may display flashing, rotating, or oscillating amber lights. The flashing, rotating, or oscillating amber lights shall not be activated on a public highway when a vehicle is in motion.

(8) This section shall not be construed to prohibit, restrict, or limit the use of lights authorized or required under sections 697, 697a, and 698a.

(9) A person who violates subsection (1), (2), (3), or (4) is responsible for a civil infraction.


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## MattR (Jan 4, 2009)

It is easy to forget they are on. Especially when the switch is not a lighted one and not marked with on/off. I had a drive yesterday to plow and forgot to turn them off, drove down the road about 7-8 miles and stopped at the store before realizing they were on. I met a cop during the route to the store, he did not even give any signal that mine was on. Maybe he knows how I drive and figured I needed that light on..lol. Either way, I think it all depends on the law enforcement officer that sees you, and if he wants to give a ticket or waste some time.

Matt


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## CarharttComando (Dec 20, 2009)

ajslands;917129 said:


> if its snowing to where visibility is next to none or none. then screw that law, or iff iam pulling a car out of a ditch, when i want people to see me. but its a stupid law anyways, and if its snowing and i have it on and get pulled over ill just ask them if they have better things to be doing, like aiding a traffic accident, or eating doughnuts. but i also have hideaway strobes which i understand being illeagle.wesport


yeah, the too tuff for tv. attitude is real proffesional, and the cop will say yeah ill get back to my doughnuts right after I arrest you cuz i can, fine you, and impound your truck...now howproductive will you be then? lol :laughing:


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## SuperdutyShane (Mar 6, 2009)

F-SERIES BEAST;903845 said:


> lol.. i forget often myself, never had an issue with the police in pa.. but there's always that local kid who read to much and just got his badge...


Picture a whole police department full of them! Thats my town! :laughing:


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