[popo]

I pulled this guy over the other day and he was driving in a black unmarked looking car. It had strobes on rear deck that appeared blue when they were off. It turned out they were purple and the car was registered to a funeral home. He said they use it for funeral home escorts and there's no law that says they can't have it.I can't find any permit requirement for purple lights, does anyone know otherwise. Oh yeah, he also had a "100 Club" decal and baseball cap in the rear with three prior OUIs on KQ.

 

[JoninNH]

Purple lights and purple flags are used often in New Hampshire for funeral homes. I too have seen CV's with purple lights that appear blue when off, hell, if you're using halogen, they might look blue when activated!

 

[popo]

Thanks Brother, I will mail him another V today. Yeah, he definitely had other intentions.

 

[LenS]

I have seen (recently) at least one funeral home using what appeared to me to be blue lights on their lead and trailing cars in a procession. Having been in many a funeral procession, morons are forever breaking into the procession (with impunity, never saw anyone tagged for it and most drivers have no idea and don't care that it is illegal) so I figured that the funeral homes are doing this to try to mitigate these problems.

I'm certain that it is illegal, but I understand their point of view . . . I have been in processions where the tail-end gets detached from the lead cars and get lost, never to find the cemetary.

 

[Gil]

I don't know, I think I would just let it go but seeing how popo has reason to belive that operator has other intentions then maybe I would look into it a little more. Most of the funeral homes in this area use Cadillacs so I don't think we have an impersonator problem. I can see where a crown vic would raise a few eyebrows tho...

 

[Guest]

540. CMR 22.06 covers the mounting and display of amber and other colored lights.

No person shall mount or display any flashing, rotating or oscillating light of any color other than amber, except blue and red lights as provided in M.G.L. c. 90, 7E, unless by written permit of the registrar, which shall be carried by the operator upon his or her person or in the vehicle, in some easily accessible place.

What's the fine for that? There's a local goofball who runs around with a green light on his dashboard....I wouldn't mind having a chat with him about that.

 

[popo]

I looked it up and it is only $35.

 

[Curious EMT]

Im am pretty sure I've seen "purple for funeral" in MGL, ill search when I get to work this afternoon....

 

[BlackOps]

Start gigging the local funeral homes for purple light violations and watch their response time the next time you have an unattended death or mva fatal and you need the body transported to the coroner's office. :A:

 

[popo]

I don't think this guy was picking up any dead bodies, unless he was going to throw them in the trunk and purple light it back to Boston.

 

[BlackOps]

Popo,

Your situation sounds unique and maybe a scum bag with priors should not be operating such a vehicle. I haven't had any problems in my area with he funeral homes and their vehicles.

Did you check the trunk????

I don't think this guy was picking up any dead bodies, unless he was going to throw them in the trunk and purple light it back to Boston.

 

[MCLEA]

540 CMR 22.07 Mounting and Display of other Aftermarket Lighting

No person shall mount or display any lighting device which does not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations, 49 CFR Part 571, unless specifically allowed by M.G.L. c. 90, § 7. Such prohibited devices shall include, but not be limited to, neon undercarriage lighting.

 

[Sgt Jack]

What's the fine for that? There's a local goofball who runs around with a green light on his dashboard....I wouldn't mind having a chat with him about that.

Must be one of those roving incident commmand posts lol

 

[popo]

I spoke to the RMV office where they issue permits. Apparently the new revised law of 90/7e covers all lights such as purple,blue and red,green. Security companies I am told are allowed to have green as long as they are on their private property. Once off ground they have to be off. Funeral Homes must get amber lights with permit only, no wig-wags or anything else(corner strobes). Fine $300.

 

[Guest]

I spoke to the RMV office where they issue permits. Apparently the new revised law of 90/7e covers all lights such as purple,blue and red,green. Security companies I am told are allowed to have green as long as they are on their private property. Once off ground they have to be off. Funeral Homes must get amber lights with permit only, no wig-wags or anything else(corner strobes). Fine $300.

So....one needs an RMV permit to display any flashing light on a public way? Did you happen to ask about tow trucks?

 

[popo]

Tow trucks need amber light permits as well but from what I understood that fine is not $300, it's 3$35 CMR.

 

[Guest]

Tow trucks need amber light permits as well but from what I understood that fine is not $300, it's 3$35 CMR.

Thanks for the info.

Like so many other MA statutes, it seems to be poorly worded. While I doubt any reasonable cop is going to ask a legitimate tow truck driver for their amber light permit, I'm sure there's some tools out there that will. Likewise contract snow-plowing trucks, which are required to have warning lights.

Come to think of it....are non-emergency government vehicles (Highway Dept., DPW, Parks Dept., etc.) exempt from this? It seems to have generated more questions than answers.

 

[spd722]

If you have access to the CJIS/LEAPS computer check out the extranet. These is an explaination on the colors and who need a permit you can print out.

goto: cjis extranet, on the right hand side is a news file, click on more the article is called Registry of Motor Vehicles Issues a Regulatory Advisory for Flashing lights, click on read more and print

 

[sempergumby]

Start gigging the local funeral homes for purple light violations and watch their response time the next time you have an unattended death or mva fatal and you need the body transported to the coroner's office. :A:[/QUO

 

[sempergumby]

Thats the truth. who the hell wants to sit in a trailer home in august with a fat leaky dead guy. Just sitting there with yur thumb up your speaker box just cause you felt indignent over a colored puprle light.:FT: