§ 20-125. Horns and warning devices. - North Carolina Statutes

§ 20‑125.  Horns andwarning devices.

(a)        Every motor vehiclewhen operated upon a highway shall be equipped with a horn in good workingorder capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distanceof not less than 200 feet, and it shall be unlawful, except as otherwiseprovided in this section, for any vehicle to be equipped with or for any personto use upon a vehicle any siren, compression or spark plug whistle or for anyperson at any time to use a horn otherwise than as a reasonable warning or tomake any unnecessary or unreasonable loud or harsh sound by means of a horn orother warning device. All such horns and warning devices shall be maintained ingood working order and shall conform to regulation not inconsistent with thissection to be promulgated by the Commissioner.

(b)        Every vehicle ownedand operated by a police department or by the Department of Crime Control andPublic Safety including the State Highway Patrol or by the Wildlife ResourcesCommission or the Division of Marine Fisheries and used exclusively for lawenforcement purposes, or by the Division of Emergency Management, or by a firedepartment, either municipal or rural, or by a fire patrol, whether such firedepartment or patrol be a paid organization or a voluntary association,vehicles used by an organ procurement organization or agency for the recoveryand transportation of human tissues and organs for transplantation, and everyambulance or emergency medical service emergency support vehicle used foranswering emergency calls, shall be equipped with special lights, bells,sirens, horns or exhaust whistles of a type approved by the Commissioner ofMotor Vehicles.

The operators of all suchvehicles so equipped are hereby authorized to use such equipment at all timeswhile engaged in the performance of their duties and services, both withintheir respective corporate limits and beyond.

In addition to the use ofspecial equipment authorized and required by this subsection, the chief andassistant chiefs of any police department or of any fire department, whetherthe same be municipal or rural, paid or voluntary, county fire marshals,assistant fire marshals, transplant coordinators, and emergency managementcoordinators, are hereby authorized to use such special equipment on privatelyowned vehicles operated by them while actually engaged in the performance oftheir official or semiofficial duties or services either within or beyond theirrespective corporate limits.

And vehicles driven by lawenforcement officers of the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles shall beequipped with a bell, siren, or exhaust whistle of a type approved by theCommissioner, and all vehicles owned and operated by the State Bureau ofInvestigation for the use of its agents and officers in the performance oftheir official duties may be equipped with special lights, bells, sirens, hornsor exhaust whistles of a type approved by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles.

Every vehicle used or operatedfor law enforcement purposes by the sheriff or any salaried deputy sheriff orsalaried rural policeman of any county, whether owned by the county or not, maybe, but is not required to be, equipped with special lights, bells, sirens,horns or exhaust whistles of a type approved by the Commissioner of MotorVehicles. Such special equipment shall not be operated or activated by anyperson except by a law enforcement officer while actively engaged in performinglaw enforcement duties.

In addition to the use ofspecial equipment authorized and required by this subsection, the chief andassistant chiefs of each emergency rescue squad which is recognized orsponsored by any municipality or civil preparedness agency, are herebyauthorized to use such special equipment on privately owned vehicles operatedby them while actually engaged in their official or semiofficial duties orservices either within or beyond the corporate limits of the municipality whichrecognizes or sponsors such organization.

(c)        Repealed by SessionLaws 1979, c. 653, s. 2. (1937, c. 407, s. 88; 1951, cc. 392, 1161; 1955, c.1224; 1959, c. 166, s. 1, c. 494, c. 1170, s. 1, c. 1209; 1965, c. 257; 1975,c. 588, c. 734, s. 15; 1977, c. 52, s. 1, c. 438, s. 1; 1979, c. 653, s. 2;1981, c. 964, s. 19; 1983, c. 32, s. 2, c. 768, s. 5; 1987, c. 266; 1989, c.537; 1989 (Reg. Sess., 1990), c. 1020, s. 1; 1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 719,s. 2.)