NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1971 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 366

HOUSE BILL 24

 

 

AN ACT TO AMEND G.S. 20-157 WITH REGARD TO REQUIRED ACTION ON PART OF OPERATOR OF A MOTOR VEHICLE UPON APPROACH OF POLICE OR FIRE DEPARTMENT VEHICLES SO AS TO MAKE APPLICABLE THE PROVISIONS THEREOF TO PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AMBULANCES AND RESCUE SQUAD EMERGENCY SERVICE VEHICLES.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina do enact:

 

Section 1.  G.S. 20-157 (a) is amended and with amendments will then read as follows:

"G.S. 20-157.  What to do on approach of police or fire department vehicles; driving over fire hose or blocking fire-fighting equipment. — (a) Upon the approach of any police or fire department vehicle or public or private ambulance or rescue squad emergency service vehicle giving warning signal by appropriate light and by audible bell, siren or exhaust whistle, audible under normal conditions from a distance not less than one thousand feet, the driver of every other vehicle shall immediately drive the same to a position as near as possible and parallel to the right-hand edge or curb, clear of any intersection of streets or highways, and shall stop and remain in such position unless otherwise directed by a police or traffic officer until police or fire department vehicle or public or private ambulance or rescue squad emergency service vehicle shall have passed. Provided however, this subsection shall not apply to vehicles traveling in the opposite direction of the vehicles herein enumerated when traveling on a four-lane limited access highway with a median divider dividing the highway for vehicles traveling in opposite directions, and provided further that the violation of this subsection shall not be negligence per se."

Sec. 2.  G.S. 20-157 is amended by adding a new subsection (e) after subsection (d) as follows:

"(e)       It shall be unlawful for the driver of a vehicle, other than one on official business, to park and leave standing such vehicle within 100 feet of police or fire department vehicles, public or private ambulances, or rescue squad emergency vehicles which are engaged in the investigation of an accident or engaged in rendering assistance to victims of such accident."

Sec. 3.  This act shall become effective upon its ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 11th day of May, 1971.