NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8688
SPONSOR: Schiavoni TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the opera-
tion of vehicles that are on approach of vehicles displaying a green or
blue light
PURPOSE:
To require any operator of a motor vehicle to yield the right of way and
immediately move over upon the approach of an authorized emergency vehi-
cle equipped with at least one lighted lamp exhibiting a blue or green
light.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Amends the section heading and subdivision (b) of section
1144 of the vehicle and traffic law to impose the duty to drive with
reasonable care for all persons using the highway on those vehicles
authorized to display a green or blue light
Section 2: Amends section 1144 of the vehicle and traffic law by adding
a new subdivision (a-1) to require, upon the immediate approach of a
vehicle equipped with at least one lighted lamp exhibiting a green or
blue light, the driver of every other vehicle shall yield the right-of-
way and shall immediately drive a position parallel to, and as close as
possible to the right-hand edge or curb of the roadway, or to either
edge of a one-way roadway there or more lands in width, clear of any
intersection, and shall stop and remain in such position until the vehi-
cle has passed.
Section 3: Sets effective date
JUSTIFICATION:
Upon the immediate approach of an authorized emergency vehicle display-
ing a visible red light, any operator of a motor vehicle is required to
immediately yield the right of way and pull over. Currently, motorists
are not required by law, but are encouraged as a courtesy, to exercise
the same due care for volunteer emergency medical vehicles displaying a
green light and volunteer fire vehicles displaying a blue light.
This failure to impose the same standards on motorists for emergency
vehicles displaying blue and/or green lights often results in signif-
icant delays for first responders to arrive on scene and assist those in
need.
This bill will require any operators of a vehicle to also immediately
yield and move over for volunteer EMS vehicles displaying a green light
and volunteer fire vehicles displaying a blue light.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-2024: S.2313/A.8248
2021-2022: S.4544
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8688
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 29, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SCHIAVONI -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the opera-
tion of vehicles that are on approach of vehicles displaying a green
or blue light
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The section heading and subdivision (b) of section 1144 of
2 the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chapter 300 of the laws of
3 1960, are amended to read as follows:
4 Operation of vehicles on approach of authorized emergency vehicles or
5 vehicles displaying a green or blue light.
6 (b) This section shall not operate to relieve the driver of an author-
7 ized emergency vehicle or a vehicle authorized to display a green or
8 blue light from the duty to drive with reasonable care for all persons
9 using the highway.
10 § 2. Section 1144 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding
11 a new subdivision (a-1) to read as follows:
12 (a-1) Upon the immediate approach of a vehicle equipped with at least
13 one lighted lamp exhibiting a green or blue light, pursuant to subdivi-
14 sion forty-one of section three hundred seventy-five of this chapter,
15 which is visible under normal atmospheric conditions, the driver of
16 every other vehicle shall yield the right-of-way and shall immediately
17 drive to a position parallel to, and as close as possible to the right-
18 hand edge or curb of the roadway, or to either edge of a one-way roadway
19 three or more lanes in width, clear of any intersection, and shall stop
20 and remain in such position until the vehicle has passed.
21 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06993-01-5
