February 28, 2008 - Introduced by Representative Wieckert, by request of
Outagamie County Sheriff's Department, Brown County Sheriff's
Department and Badger State Sheriff's Association. Referred to Committee
on State Affairs.
AB898,1,4 1An Act to amend 346.02 (5), 346.02 (10), (11) and (12), 346.18 (1), 346.22 (1) (a)
2and 347.25 (1m) (b); and to create 346.215 of the statutes; relating to: police
3escorts and vehicle rights-of-way related to escorted vehicles and providing a
4penalty.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Current law generally requires a vehicle facing a red traffic signal to stop before
entering an intersection and remain stopped until the signal turns green and
requires a vehicle approaching a stop sign to stop before entering the intersection
and yield the right-of-way to other vehicles that have entered the intersection or are
approaching on a highway not controlled by a stop sign or traffic signal. The leading
vehicle in a funeral procession must comply with these stopping requirements for
traffic control signals and stop signs, but when the leading vehicle has complied with
these requirements and proceeded through an intersection, all other vehicles in the
funeral procession that have their headlights on may proceed without stopping,
regardless of the sign or signal.
Under current law, when an authorized emergency vehicle is responding to an
emergency call or in pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law, the operator
is exempt from traffic restrictions relating to parking if the vehicle's warning lights
are activated. The operator of an authorized emergency vehicle is also exempt from
traffic restrictions relating to speed, traffic signals, and direction of travel if the
vehicle's warning lights and siren are activated. Even when an authorized
emergency vehicle is operated with the vehicle's warning lights and siren activated,

the operator must drive with due regard under the circumstances for the safety of
all persons.
This bill allows a police vehicle, with warning lights activated, to escort any
vehicle or procession of vehicles. With each escorted vehicle or procession of vehicles,
there must be at least one police vehicle escort leading the vehicle or procession and
at least one police vehicle escort at the rear of the vehicle or procession. The escorting
police vehicles and escorted special event vehicles are not required to stop at red
traffic signals or stop signs but must obey all other traffic laws. These privileges
apply to the operator of a police vehicle only if the law enforcement agency employing
the operator has provided written guidelines for its officers and employees regarding
the escorting of vehicles. The escorting police vehicles and escorted vehicles must
yield the right-of-way to any other authorized emergency vehicle with its siren
activated. All other vehicles must yield the right-of-way to the escorting police
vehicles and escorted vehicles and may not drive between them. A person who fails
to yield the right-of-way to the escorting police vehicles and escorted vehicles or
drives between these vehicles, or who operates an escorting police vehicle or escorted
vehicle and fails to yield the right-of-way to another authorized emergency vehicle,
may be required to forfeit not less than $20 nor more than $50 for the first offense
and not less than $50 nor more than $100 for the second or subsequent offense within
a year.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB898, s. 1 1Section 1. 346.02 (5) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB898,2,62 346.02 (5) Applicability to public officers and employees. The provisions of
3this chapter applicable to operators of vehicles apply also to operators of vehicles
4owned by or operated by or for any governmental agency, including the United States
5government, subject to the specific exceptions set forth in this section and s. ss.
6346.03 and 346.215 (2).
AB898, s. 2 7Section 2. 346.02 (10), (11) and (12) of the statutes are amended to read:
AB898,3,28 346.02 (10) Applicability to snowmobiles. The operator of a snowmobile upon
9a roadway shall in addition to the provisions of ch. 350 be subject to ss. 346.04,
10346.06, 346.11, 346.14 (1), 346.18, 346.19, 346.20, 346.21, 346.215 (3), 346.26,
11346.27, 346.33, 346.35, 346.37, 346.39, 346.40, 346.44, 346.46, 346.47, 346.48, 346.50

1(1) (b), 346.51, 346.52, 346.53, 346.54, 346.55, 346.87, 346.88, 346.89, 346.90, 346.91,
2346.92 (1) and 346.94 (1) and (9).
AB898,3,8 3(11) Applicability to all-terrain vehicles. The operator of an all-terrain
4vehicle on a roadway is subject to ss. 346.04, 346.06, 346.11, 346.14 (1), 346.18,
5346.19, 346.20, 346.21, 346.215 (3), 346.26, 346.27, 346.33, 346.35, 346.37, 346.39,
6346.40, 346.44, 346.46, 346.47, 346.48, 346.50 (1) (b), 346.51, 346.52, 346.53, 346.54,
7346.55, 346.71, 346.87, 346.88, 346.89, 346.90, 346.91, 346.92 (1) and 346.94 (1) and
8(9) but is not subject to any other provision of this chapter.
AB898,3,17 9(12) Applicability to electric personal assistive mobility devices. An electric
10personal assistive mobility device shall be considered a vehicle for purposes of ss.
11346.04 to 346.10, 346.12, 346.13, 346.15, 346.16, 346.18, 346.19, 346.20, 346.215 (3),
12346.23 to 346.28, 346.31 to 346.35, 346.37 to 346.40, 346.44, 346.46, 346.47, 346.48,
13346.50 to 346.55, 346.57, 346.59, 346.62, 346.65 (5m), 346.67 to 346.70, 346.78,
14346.80, 346.87, 346.88, 346.90, 346.91, and 346.94 (4), (5), (9), and (10), except those
15provisions which by their express terms apply only to motor vehicles or which by
16their very nature would have no application to electric personal assistive mobility
17devices.
AB898, s. 3 18Section 3. 346.18 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB898,3,2419 346.18 (1) General rule at intersections. Except as otherwise expressly
20provided in this section or in s. 346.19, 346.20, 346.215, or 346.46 (1), when 2 vehicles
21approach or enter an intersection at approximately the same time, the operator of
22the vehicle on the left shall yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on the right. The
23operator of any vehicle driving at an unlawful speed forfeits any right-of-way which
24he or she would otherwise have under this subsection.
AB898, s. 4 25Section 4. 346.215 of the statutes is created to read:
AB898,4,3
1346.215 Police escorts and rights-of-way related to escorted vehicles.
2(1) In this section, "police vehicle" means an authorized emergency vehicle as
3defined in s. 340.01 (3) (a).
AB898,4,16 4(2) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), and notwithstanding s. 346.03 (1) and (4),
5the operator of a police vehicle escorting any vehicle or procession of vehicles may
6exercise the privileges specified in s. 346.03 (2) (b) if the operator of the police vehicle
7is giving visual signal as described in s. 346.03 (3). The operator of the police vehicle
8under this subsection is not required to give an audible signal as described in s.
9346.03 (3). This subsection applies only if the vehicle, or in the case of a procession
10of vehicles the entire procession, is escorted by at least 2 police vehicles, at least one
11of which is leading the vehicle or procession of vehicles and at least one of which is
12at the rear of the vehicle or procession of vehicles, and only if the requirement under
13sub. (4) is satisfied. Notwithstanding ss. 346.18 (3), 346.37 (1) (c) 1., and 346.46 (1)
14and (2), any operator of a vehicle being escorted under this subsection may
15accompany these police vehicles as they proceed past any red or stop signal or stop
16sign in accordance with the privileges specified in this subsection.
AB898,4,2017 (b) The operator of a police vehicle escorting a vehicle or procession of vehicles,
18and the operator of any vehicle being escorted, shall yield the right-of-way in
19accordance with s. 346.19 upon the approach of an authorized emergency vehicle
20giving an audible signal by siren.
AB898,4,25 21(3) Except as provided in sub. (2) (b), the operator of a vehicle other than an
22escorted vehicle or escorting police vehicle shall yield the right-of-way at an
23intersection to an escorted vehicle or escorting police vehicle and shall not, except
24when authorized to do so by a traffic officer, drive between these escorting and
25escorted vehicles.
AB898,5,5
1(4) The privileges specified in sub. (2) (a) do not apply to the operator of a police
2vehicle unless, prior to escorting any vehicle as provided under sub. (2) (a), the law
3enforcement agency employing the operator of the police vehicle has provided
4written guidelines for its officers and employees regarding the escorting of vehicles
5under this section.
AB898, s. 5 6Section 5. 346.22 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB898,5,107 346.22 (1) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), (c), (d), or (e), any person violating
8s. 346.18 or, 346.20 (1), or 346.215 (2) (b) or (3) may be required to forfeit not less than
9$20 nor more than $50 for the first offense and not less than $50 nor more than $100
10for the 2nd or subsequent conviction within a year.
AB898, s. 6 11Section 6. 347.25 (1m) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB898,5,2512 347.25 (1m) (b) If the vehicle is so equipped, the lights shall be illuminated as
13required under s. 346.03 or 346.215 (2) (a) when the operator of the police vehicle is
14exercising the privileges granted under that section s. 346.03 or 346.215 (2) (a). On
15a marked police vehicle, the blue light shall be mounted on the passenger side of the
16vehicle and the red light shall be mounted on the driver side of the vehicle. When
17in use on an unmarked police vehicle, the blue light shall be displayed on the
18passenger side of the vehicle and the red light shall be displayed on the driver side
19of the vehicle. The lights shall be designed and displayed so as to be plainly visible
20and understandable from a distance of 500 feet during normal sunlight and during
21hours of darkness. No operator of a police vehicle may use the warning lights except
22when responding to an emergency call or when in pursuit of an actual or suspected
23violator of the law, when responding to but not upon returning from a fire alarm or,
24when necessarily parked on a highway in a position which is likely to be hazardous
25to traffic using the highway, or as authorized under s. 346.215 (2) (a).
AB898, s. 7
1Section 7. Initial applicability.
AB898,6,32 (1) This act first applies to vehicles operated on the effective date of this
3subsection.
AB898,6,44 (End)
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