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Legal Issues in Parking Area Sweeping |
Amber Beacons, Barlights, Illegal In Californiaby Ranger Kidwell-Ross
We learned of a California-based contractor who had been advised by a member of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) that his barlight beacon was illegal on the street. The synopsis of the CHP's determination is that any amber roof lights on a sweeper - whether bubble or barlight - are illegal unless the vehicle is actively engaged in sweeping for a municipality or other public agency. Strictly speaking, it is not even legal to cover your lights between stops. The law says that they must be removed for road travel, and then may be re-installed once you enter the private parking area to sweep. In the larger malls that have been designated as public throughways, the law doesn't even allow use of a barlight or beacon while sweeping! This is unsettling news, no question. The letter of the law is clear, however, and the bottom line is that troopers can actually require removal of sweeper roof lights prior to travel on a public roadway. All that can be hoped is that enforcement won't be emphasized. Because this is a matter of legislative statute, if you are a California contractor and want to lobby for a change, you should contact your local representative to see if you can get them involved. You might want to pass along a copy of any letters on the subject to the person who chairs the legislature's Transportation Committee, Assemblyman Katz. He can be reached by writing to The Honorable Richard Katz, California State Assembly, Room 3146, State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814. Our sources sayt that in the long-run, though, it will probably take lobbying by an organized association to make any difference. We would like to know about any other states in which amber flashing lights are either banned or required. If you know the facts on any of these, please let us know.
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