NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1977 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 52

HOUSE BILL 12

 

 

AN ACT TO PERMIT COUNTY FIRE MARSHALS AND CIVIL DEFENSE DIRECTORS TO USE WARNING DEVICES AND RED LIGHTS.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1.  G.S. 20-125(b) as same appears in the 1975 Cumulative Supplement to Volume 1C of the General Statutes is hereby amended by inserting immediately after the word and punctuation "voluntary," and immediately before the word "are" appearing in line 13 the words and punctucation "county fire marshals and civil preparedness coordinators,".

Sec. 2.  G.S. 20-130.1 as same appears in the 1975 Replacement Volume 1C of the General Statutes is hereby amended by inserting immediately after the word "county" and immediately before the word "regardless" appearing in line 14 thereof the words and punctuation, "county fire marshal, or civil preparedness coordinator".

Sec. 3.  G.S. 20-145 as same appears in the 1975 Replacement Volume 1C of the General Statutes is hereby amended by inserting immediately after the word "emergencies" and immediately before the word "nor" appearing in line 7 thereof, the words and punctuation "nor to vehicles operated by county fire marshals and civil preparedness coordinators when traveling in the performances of their duties,".

Sec. 4.  G.S. 20-156(b) as same appears in the 1975 Replacement Volume 1C of the General Statutes is hereby rewritten to read as follows:

"(b)      The driver of a vehicle upon the highway shall yield the right-of-way to police and fire department vehicles and public and private ambulances and to rescue squad emergency service vehicles and vehicles operated by county fire marshals and civil preparedness coordinators when the operators of said vehicles are giving a warning signal by appropriate light and by bell, siren or exhaust whistle audible under normal conditions from a distance not less than 1,000 feet. This provision shall not operate to relieve the driver of a police or fire department vehicle or public or private ambulance or rescue squad emergency service vehicle or county fire marshals or civil preparedness coordinators from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the highway, nor shall it protect the driver of any such vehicle or county fire marshal or civil preparedness coordinator from the consequence of any arbitrary exercise of such right-of-way."

Sec. 5.  This act shall become effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 4th day of March, 1977.