Legislator puts flashing lights under the spotlight

"Some members of national or local legislative bodies, heads of local governments, or just ordinary citizens put these flashing lights on their cars so other drivers will yield to them."

Huang Wei-cher, DPP legislator

A vehicle with flashing lights may not necessarily be an emergency vehicle, a legislator said yesterday.

"Some members of national or local legislative bodies, heads of local governments, or just ordinary citizens put these flashing lights on their cars so other drivers will yield to them," Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Huang Wei-cher (黃偉哲) told a press conference.

Flashing lights are available in stores at prices raging from NT$400 to a little over NT$1,000, Huang said, adding that regulations on use of the lights are vague and inadequate.

An executive order issued by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) in 1984 says that "any vehicle other than fire engines, ambulances, police and construction vehicles ? shall not install red flashing lights and sirens."

According to the same executive order, unauthorized installation of flashing lights is punishable by fines of between NT$900 to NT$1,800, not for the misuse itself, but for "unauthorized alteration of a vehicle's exterior appearance," under Article 16 of the Road Traffic Management and Punishment Law (道路交通管理處罰條例).

"It's very vague, it regulates red lights, but what about yellow ones and blue ones?" Huang asked.

It's also vague in terms of which government agency is in charge of regulating the use of flashing lights.

"A security company applied for permission to use flashing lights to the MOTC, and the Taiwan Water Corporation made the same application to the Ministry of the Interior," he said, while holding two documents in his hand.

Although both applications were rejected both ministries replied as if they were in charge of this matter, Huang added.

Representatives from both ministries promised to set up a single window for the matter, and that stricter regulations would be drawn up and submitted to the legislature for review.

"We'll probably ask local motor vehicle offices to review regulations and issue permissions to use flashing lights," said Chung Hung-chun (莊鴻鈞), an official from the National Police Agency.