New Mexico Emergency Vehicle Light State Statutes

Different vehicles in New Mexico State are seen as emergency vehicles and are therefore legally required to use sirens and street lights. It is important to be well informed about the emergency vehicle light laws for any citizen using these warning lights. New Mexico State legislation 66.1-4.1(F) defines an emergency vehicle as any vehicle belonging to police, fire, local agencies or any other state or federal law enforcement agency.

Also, ambulances and public utilities companies are also allowed to use the warning lights only if they are licensed by the departments of individual states.

New Mexico State statutes on motor vehicles and special restrictions on lambs (Statute Chapter 66)

When lighting lamps or illuminating machines placed on motor vehicles other than conventional lighting devices project at least three hundred candle-power. The emergency light should be positioned in such a way that no part of the focused power component reaches the level of the roadway. The level is where the car is placed within a distance of no less than 75 feet. The lighted lamps do not include headlamps, spot lamps, flashing turn signals, warning lights for emergency cars or even warning lamps for school buses.

An individual with a vehicle or any equipment with either a lamp or red light display device shall not drive or use the roadway. However, if the Motor Vehicle Code authorizes or requires it, one can use the red light directly in front of the vehicle or equipment centre.

Flashlights on emergency vehicles, learning institutional cars, snow removal tools and highway marking devices are illegal except authorized. Otherwise flashing red lights on stationary and disabled vehicles may be applied as warning lights. It can also be used as a means of showing a turn on automobiles.

A vehicle requiring a stop on the highway for recovery purposes to be fixed or repaired may display flashing light of any color except red. It also occurs in situations where the damaged vehicle is being towed. Nevertheless, this clause does not require the repair vehicles to use flashlights while the cars are going or returning. This is when even a towing vehicle engages.

Only specified vehicles may use red flashing lights visible from the front of their vehicles. These include departmental cars, ambulances, school buses and equipment from law enforcement agencies. Vehicles approved by the Motor Vehicle Code can use any color except red for the use of visible flashlights from the front part of the vehicle.

Various vehicles display separate warning colours. The cars include:

Police Vehicle

New Mexico State Police Vehicles statute 66-7-6 (C) legalizes the use of red light in police state vehicles. The red police light must be visible to the front of the car at not less than five hundred feet. The statute, however, notes that using the red warning lights in New Mexico Law Enforcement isn’t a necessity. The ordinance lso has other requirements on authorized emergency vehicles:

• a right emergency vehicle driver is privileged to use the statute when responding to an emergency call or pursuing a law violator. State police chief or relevant local agency may assign emergency vehicles and cancel the designation. Only emergency vehicles are considered as vehicles not until they are designated.
• Police car driver can park or halt anywhere regardless of the set Motor Vehicle Codes.
• They may exceed the speed limit as long as they do not endanger life Assume guidelines governing move direction or specified turns.
• Authorized emergency vehicles include police cars, fire-fighting vehicles, ambulances and any municipal department legalized emergency vehicles. It also includes public utilities that are authorized by the director of the New Mexico State Police Division. It is the department which handles the safety of the public and sets regulatory measures.

These are but police cars and vehicles are entitled among the legal obligations.

Fire trucks

Fire trucks are allowed in New Mexico for using red flashing lights. That is allowed by the New Mexico Statute 66-3-835. The white colors on the trucks can also be mixed with the red colour. A single blue fire light can sometimes be mounted at the rear of the vehicle. All other obligations are well defined as in chapter 66 of the above Statute.

Ambulance cars

New Mexico Ambulances use not less than a single red lighted lamp. It is stated under State statute 66-3-835(E). The state statute demands that the red light be visible at a point, not less than 500 feet. However, light color choices aren’t crucial compared to their conspicuousness. Now, a neon yellow and orange backdrop is favored. The colors are claimed to have a greater chance of being viewed from afar. However, research done did not see any logic behind the claims. Other color suggestions also included a blend of yellow-green fluorescent. The yellow-green color is similar to the State of New Mexico.

Tow trucks

Not all tow trucks have the authorization to use warning lights. It is under state statute 66-3-835 (D) of New Mexico. The law requires tow trucks to activate their lights during a vehicle recovery or some other task. The lights must be turned off immediately after mission has been accomplished. The cars are not, however, marked with any specific colour. Additionally, tow trucks are prohibited to use red lights.

Utility vehicles

This may include automobiles such as power trucks. Even requiring these types of vehicles to use warning lights. The state statute 66-3-835 (D) confers this right on such vehicles. The trucks are expected to activate their warning lights in the event they perform their specified duty. The color may vary as long as it isn’t a flashing red light. Upon completion of the task, drivers of utility vehicles will be asked to turn off the flashing lights.

Pilot vehicles

These vehicles are expected to use amber lightings in New Mexico. All escort, pilot, and flag vehicles are included. These cars allow large cars carrying oversize loads to be given directions. The governing stipulations expect these cars to use at least two rotating, strobe, or amber lights that illuminate. They should be mounted on top of the vehicle to position the lights and should be no more than eight inches apart. Also, the amber lighting must undoubtedly be visible during sunny hours at a length of one thousand feet on daytime.

Construction vehicles

Construction works close to busy highways, or if pedestrians or motorists don’t notice them, country roads are considered dangerous. Flashing lights, neon cones and flagmen alert passers-by that they are approaching the building site. Construct cars use amber lightings mounted on cabs, bumpers, and grilles. These also have interior light bars with flashback covers attached to the windows. These will allow for proper viewing of the heavy vehicles and the point of construction. The vehicles include, inter alia, excavators, bulldozers and cement mixers. The vehicles also require constant flashing strobe lights and reversible alarms to alert both passengers and even workers. This will help them to know where the particular construction vehicles are and where they will be working. All these features and possibilities are laid down in Statute 66-3-835 (D) of the New Mexico State.

Safety vehicles

They are also subject to State law 66-3-835. The vehicles are equipped with flashing amber lights which are intended to alert people undergoing a particular job. They have excellent flashing lights, and a few cones to warn people of their undertaking. The lighting illuminates primary work areas and acts as protectors for the workers themselves. In addition, the vehicles may also be used to cool and sort chaos that may arise at their specified locations of work.

Volunteer firefighter vehicles

Vehicles with a somewhat temporary mount setup that tend to respond to emerging issues such as fire occurrences are required to have an emergency light. The set-up can be either indoors or outdoors. If a vehicle has a configuration already installed, they can make further advances to facilitate accommodation of the new one. Such cars may have flashlights or may lack them. If this modification is required in your car, an Eagle Eye Visor Light is preferred. In its attachment to the vehicle it is straightforward, since it only uses clips. Other viewfinder lights may come in pairs.

Dash and Deck Lights are common for vehicles that have temporary lights inside. The lights are highly mountable and demountable, with high intensity and performance. So, in an instant, a vehicle is in a flash turned into a firefighting car. Such vehicles are legalized under the New Mexico Statute 66-3-835 to operate as firefighting cars passing through.

In general, the various vehicles listed above have, among other combinations, a range of colors mainly red and amber lighting. The red color deals with indicating critical situations that other vehicles and passers-by urgently need attention.

For more information on what lights are available to you, we suggest calling your State Highway Patrol office at: 505-827-9300

*Please note that these numbers are what we can currently find, and the numbers may have changed since this listing.