South Dakota Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights
32-14-1(2)
"Authorized emergency vehicle," a vehicle of a fire department, a police vehicle, an ambulance or emergency vehicle of a municipal department or public service corporation that is designated or authorized by the department or the Department of Health, and an emergency vehicle titled to a local organization for emergency management created pursuant to chapter 34-48A;
32-31-4
Speed limits inapplicable under specified conditions. The speed limit set out in §§ 32-25-1.1 to 32-25-17, inclusive, does not apply to any authorized emergency vehicle responding to an emergency call if the driver sounds an audible siren or air horn or both or displays flashing, oscillating, or rotating beams of red light or combinations of red, blue, or white light visible one hundred eighty degrees to the front of the vehicle. The lights shall be capable of warning the public of the presence of an emergency vehicle under normal atmospheric conditions. The speed limit set out in §§ 32-25-1.1 to 32-25-17, inclusive, does not apply to authorized emergency vehicles operated by law enforcement officers who are measuring the speed of other vehicles by use of the emergency vehicle speedometer. Moreover, the driver of an ambulance who has been certified pursuant to § 34-11-6 may operate the emergency vehicle in excess of the speed limit without audible signals while operating outside the city limits of a municipality.
Source: SDC 1939, § 44.0308; SL 1941, ch 187, § 3; SL 1955, ch 168; SL 1959, ch 251, § 1; SDC Supp 1960, § 44.0303; SL 1963, ch 254; SL 1975, ch 210, § 1; SL 1981, ch 248; SL 1988, ch 266; SL 1993, ch 234, § 2; SL 1994, ch 265; SL 2007, ch 186, § 2.3
32-26-15
Yielding right-of-way to emergency vehicles--Duty of driver of emergency vehicle not to exercise right-of-way arbitrarily--Violation as misdemeanor. The driver of a vehicle upon a highway shall yield the right-of-way to police and fire department vehicles and ambulances if they are operated upon official business and the drivers give an audible signal by bell, siren, or exhaust whistle or visual signal by flashing, oscillating, or rotating beams of red light or combinations of red, blue, or white light visible one hundred eighty degrees to the front of the vehicle. The provisions of this section do not relieve the driver of a police, fire department vehicle, or ambulance from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the highway nor does it protect the driver of any such vehicle from the consequence of an arbitrary exercise of such right-of-way. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor.
Source: SDC 1939, § 44.0319; SL 1945, ch 189; SL 1989, ch 255, § 152; SL 2007, ch 186, § 4.
32-17-10
Tow truck or wrecker defined--Use of amber flashers--Violation as misdemeanor. Unless the context otherwise requires, a "tow truck or wrecker" is any motor vehicle which is specially equipped to tow, haul, or push disabled automobiles, trucks, or tractors for commercial considerations, or operated by any person, for the purpose of towing or servicing any automobiles, trucks, or tractors owned by him. Any tow truck or wrecker may be equipped with and use an amber rotary beacon light or lights or other amber flashing or blinking light or lights of the type or similar to the type of such lights used on emergency vehicles in this state. The amber lights may be used by a tow truck or wrecker only when actually engaging, towing, hauling, or pushing a disabled motor vehicle, or when ordered by a law enforcement officer for safety purposes to warn other motorists of the presence of the tow truck or wrecker. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor.
Source: SL 1967, ch 208, §§ 1 to 3; SL 1975, ch 206, § 2; SL 1978, ch 158, § 36; SL 1986, ch 257.