Blue-light drivers must obey traffic laws

So there’s a vehicle behind me with flashing blue lights. What does that mean? I get this question a lot and a lot of misconceptions seem to abound locally about how blue-light laws work in Alaska.

Per 13 AAC 04.100 (AAC is Alaska Administrative Code): a Fire Chief, emergency medical provider, or police chief may authorize a vehicle to be equipped with blue lights that may be used only when responding to emergencies. There are requirements under the same code that dictate the restrictions of these authorizations, that must be met by any person equipping their vehicle with the flashing blue lights.

Many people have heard about restrictions on blue-light-equipped vehicles and their responses. State code actually permits a vehicle equipped with flashing blue lights to disregard laws related to direction of travel, traffic control devices, rules regarding stopping on a roadway, even using off-road vehicles on the road may be permitted if necessary to respond. The fire departments and EMS squads of the Mat-Su Borough and the city fire departments are more restrictive with the blue lights than state statutes and administrative code permit, which is certainly a beneficial thing. For instance, while the state law permits the vehicles to disregard all traffic laws, the blue-light policies of all departments state that a driver may not exceed the speed limit, may not disregard traffic control devices, and may not disregard any other laws of the road.

Some drivers will take offense to a person disregarding state law or local ordinance in their vehicle operations, but there are a few state laws that drivers must be aware of before they dismiss the flashing blue lights coming up behind them.

Under 13 AAC 02.140 (b), “Except for a driver of an authorized emergency vehicle responding to an emergency, a driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way as provided in (a) of this section to a vehicle displaying a flashing blue light as prescribed in 13 AAC 04.100. The vehicle displaying a flashing blue light shall yield the right-of-way to an authorized emergency vehicle which is responding to an emergency.”

Translated, this means that unless driving an emergency vehicle responding to an emergency, a driver must yield the right of way to any vehicle equipped with a blue light. “Shall” is a big word, and when in it is written into codes and laws it grows even larger. “Shall” means that it must take place, not a suggestion or request. People have been given tickets and citations for failure to yield to blue-light-equipped vehicles, and despite contestating the citations they do hold up.

If you witness a blue-light-equipped vehicle driving erratically or dangerously, there are appropriate steps to notify authorities. You may also notify the Cottonwood Public Safety Building at 373-8800. You also always have the option to notify 9-1-1 and report the hazardous driving, as every driver on the road is required to drive with due regard for public safety. Under the same code that provides blue-light-equipped vehicles with the right of way on approach, is this next paragraph: “(c) The provisions of this section do not relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle or a vehicle displaying a flashing blue light from the duty to drive with regard for the safety of all persons using the highways.” Provide a vehicle description and location of the situation, preferably with a license plate as well, or the ability of the administration to correct any inappropriate behavior is limited.

While I do not speak on their behalf, I ensure you that the Mat-Su Borough Department of Emergency Services does remind their responders regularly of the extra rules enforced on blue-light-equipped vehicles and that they will be held accountable.

Different people display their blue lights in different manners, but they all must meet the same criteria. The blue light must be visible for 300 feet in normal visibility conditions from the front and both sides. The blue lights may be a rotating beacon on the top of the vehicle, or it may be flashing LEDs inside the windshield, or flashing lights in the grill and all over the vehicle.

On personal vehicles, they cannot be used with red lights, and personally owned vehicles may not display flashing headlights. The drivers must follow laws the same as any other driver on the road, but please keep your eye open for vehicles with blue lights. They are responding to someone’s emergency, and a life may be on the line. Is your convenience or personal opinion really worth risking someone else’s life, or their child’s?

Christian M. Hartley is the Public Information Officer, Training Officer, and a responder with the Houston Fire Department. Questions and comments are welcome to hartley@myopinionmatters.org.