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Vehicle Warning Lights Regulations
made under Section 180 of the
Motor Vehicle Act
R.S.N.S. 1989, c. 293
O.I.C. 2007-29 (January 12, 2007), N.S. Reg. 20/2007
as amended up to O.I.C. 2011-257 (July 5, 2011), N.S. Reg. 233/2011
Citation
1 These regulations may be cited as the Vehicle Warning Lights Regulations.
Definition
2 In these regulations,
(a) “Act” means the Motor Vehicle Act;
(b) “Weights and Dimensions of Vehicles Regulations” means the Weights and Dimensions of Vehicles Regulations, N.S. Reg. 137/2001, made under the Act.
Flashing or revolving yellow or amber light
3 (1) In accordance with subsection 179(6) of the Act, a flashing or revolving light that is displayed by any of vehicles permitted to do so by clause 179(5)(f), (g), (h), (i) or (j) of the Act must be designed to show only the colour yellow or amber in all directions.
(2) The display of a flashing or revolving light that is designed to show only yellow or amber light in all directions is permitted on all of the following vehicles, in addition to the vehicles referred to in subsection (1):
(a) a vehicle that is being operated under the terms of a special permit issued under the Weights and Dimensions of Vehicles Regulations;
(b) a vehicle that is acting as a pilot or an escort of a vehicle or combination of vehicles, if the escorted vehicle or combination of vehicles have been issued a special permit under the Weights and Dimensions of Vehicles Regulations;
(c) any of the following vehicles, while it is being temporarily propelled or moved upon a highway:
(i) an implement of husbandry, including a farm tractor and a farm vehicle;
(ii) equipment or machinery used in road building or construction;
(d) a vehicle owned or engaged by the Province or a municipality while the vehicle is being operated in constructing, surveying or testing a highway;
(e) any vehicle while it is actually being operated to plough or remove snow;
(f) a public transit system service vehicle while it is being operated to provide service to a disabled bus;
(g) a vehicle that is owned or engaged by, or operated by an employee of, the Government of Canada, a federal crown corporation, the Province, a Nova Scotia crown corporation or a municipality while the vehicle is being operated to provide a public service that requires the operator to drive at a reduced speed or to make repeated stops along a highway;
(h) a vehicle while it is being operated in constructing, maintaining, surveying, testing or repairing a public utility.
(3) Nothing in this Section precludes either of the following:
(a) the flashing of a white or amber light to the front or the flashing of a red or amber light to the rear of a vehicle when the operator of the vehicle is signaling an intended change of direction in accordance with Section 119 of the Act;
(b) the simultaneous flashing of vehicular hazard warning signal lights to the front and rear of a vehicle, if the lights are installed in accordance with the Motor Vehicle Safety Act (Canada).
Red flashing or revolving light at front of ambulance
4 A display on an ambulance of a flashing or revolving red light that is visible from directly in front of the ambulance, as permitted by clauses 179(1)(a) and 179(5)(a) of the Act, is permitted only in the following circumstances:
(a) the ambulance is being operated in response to a call about a person who needs emergency medical care;
(b) the ambulance is parked at the scene of an accident or another emergency situation;
(c) the ambulance is conveying a person who needs emergency medical care.
Flashing headlamps on police vehicle
5 The display of flashing headlamps is permitted on a police vehicle.
Definitions for flashing red and amber lights
6 (1) In subsection 103(3) of the Act, “exhibiting flashing red lights” means displaying alternating flashing red lights of the type prescribed by Section 42 of the Board Public Passenger Motor Carrier Act Regulations made under the Motor Carrier Act.
(2) In subsection 103(4) of the Act, “exhibits flashing amber lights” means displays alternating flashing amber lights of the type prescribed by Section 42 of the Board Public Passenger Motor Carrier Act Regulations made under the Motor Carrier Act.
Section 6 added: O.I.C. 2007-567, N.S. Reg. 412/2007.
Lights displayed by certain peace officers
7 In addition to the vehicles permitted to display red, blue and flashing lights under Section 179 of the Act, the following vehicles may display a red light visible from any direction, a blue light visible from any direction, flashing lights or revolving lights:
(a) a vehicle driven by an inspector appointed under Section 34 of the Motor Carrier Act while performing their duties as an inspector;
(b) a vehicle driven by a special constable appointed under Section 88 of the Police Act while performing their duties as a special constable employed by the Halifax-Dartmouth Bridge Commission and while on Halifax-Dartmouth Bridge Commission property;
(c) a vehicle driven by a fishery officer or fishery guardian appointed under subsection 5(1) of the Fisheries Act (Canada), while performing their duties as a fishery officer or fishery guardian;
(d) a vehicle driven by an officer appointed under subsection 12(1) of the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (Canada), while performing their duties as an officer;
(e) a vehicle driven by a game officer appointed under subsection 6(1) of the Migratory Birds Convention Act (Canada), while performing their duties as a game officer;
(f) a vehicle driven by an enforcement officer appointed under subsection 85(1) of the Species at Risk Act (Canada), while performing their duties as an enforcement officer;
(g) a vehicle driven by a wildlife officer appointed under Section 11 of the Canada Wildlife Act (Canada), while performing their duties as a wildlife officer.
Section 7 added: O.I.C. 2007-567, N.S. Reg. 412/2007; replaced: O.I.C. 2011-257, N.S. Reg. 233/2011.
Lights displayed by vehicle of a peace officer of Corrections Service of Canada
7A In addition to the vehicles permitted to display red, blue and flashing lights under Section 179 of the Act and these regulations, a vehicle driven by a peace officer appointed under Section 10 of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (Canada), while performing their duties as a peace officer, may display the following lights:
(a) a red light visible from any direction;
(b) flashing or revolving red lights.
Section 7A added: O.I.C. 2009-442, N.S. Reg. 309/2009; replaced: O.I.C. 2011-257, N.S. Reg. 233/2011.
Flashing or revolving purple light for funeral procession
8 A vehicle that is leading, or is about to lead, a funeral procession may display a flashing or revolving light that is designed to show only purple light in all directions.
Section 8 added: O.I.C. 2009-57, N.S. Reg. 37/2009.
Last updated: 10-12-2017