2023 WISCONSIN ACT 155
An Act to renumber and amend 347.26 (9); to amend 346.072 (1g) (d); and to create 347.26 (9) (a) 3. and 347.26 (9) (b) of the statutes; relating to: warning lights on public utility, telecommunications carrier, or cooperative vehicles.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
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Section
1. 346.072 (1g) (d) of the statutes is amended to read:
346.072 (1g) (d) Any vehicle of a public utility, telecommunications carrier, or cooperative association described in s. 347.26 (9) displaying one or more flashing amber or green lamps as provided in s. 347.26 (9).
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Section
2. 347.26 (9) of the statutes is renumbered 347.26 (9) (a) (intro.) and amended to read:
347.26 (9) (a) (intro.) Any
Subject to par. (b), any vehicle of a public utility, as defined in s. 196.01 (5), of a telecommunications carrier, as defined in s. 196.01 (8m), or of a cooperative association organized under ch. 185 for the purpose of producing or furnishing heat, light, power, or water to its members, which that by reason of its use upon a highway creates a vehicular traffic hazard requiring the exercise of unusual care in approaching, overtaking, or passing may be equipped with a any of the following configurations of flashing amber lamp
or green lamps:
1. A lamp of the dome dome-light type or with 2 flashing amber.
2. Two lamps, one showing to the front and one showing to the rear. Such The lamps shall be mounted approximately midway between the extremities of the width of the vehicle and at the highest practicable point and shall be used only for the purpose of warning operators of other vehicles of the presence of the traffic hazard. Should such vehicle be of a type so as to make impractical If the mounting of such lamps midway between the extremities of the width of the vehicle is impracticable because of the vehicle's design, then such the mountings shall be made at or near the upper left front and rear corners of such the vehicle.
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Section
3. 347.26 (9) (a) 3. of the statutes is created to read:
347.26 (9) (a) 3. Four lamps, 2 showing to the front and 2 showing to the rear. The lamps showing to the front shall be mounted at the same level and as widely spaced laterally as practicable. The lamps showing to the rear shall be mounted at the same level and as widely spaced laterally as practicable.
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Section
4. 347.26 (9) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
347.26 (9) (b) In this paragraph, “maintenance and restoration of utility service” means the immediate restoration of a utility service that is outside the normal parameters of general maintenance or construction when damage or interruption of service has been caused to utility infrastructure by adverse weather or other events and that requires utility crews to park utility vehicles in the roadway or on the shoulder of the roadway. No person may use flashing green lamps under par. (a) unless the vehicle upon which the lamps are mounted is operated for the purpose of maintenance and restoration of utility service.
