§ 9.36.360. Horns and warning devices.

A.

Every motor vehicle when operated upon a street shall be equipped with a horn in good working order and capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than 200 feet, but no horn or other warning device shall emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle. The driver of a motor vehicle shall, when reasonably necessary to ensure safe operation, give audible warning with the vehicle's horn, but may not otherwise use such horn upon a street.

B.

No vehicle may be equipped with, nor shall any person use upon a vehicle, any siren, whistle, bell or other audible warning device, except as otherwise permitted in this section.

C.

Any commercial vehicle may be equipped with a theft alarm signal device which is so arranged that it cannot be used by the driver as an ordinary warning signal.

D.

Every authorized emergency vehicle shall be equipped with a siren, whistle, bell or other audible warning device, capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than 500 feet and of a type approved by the police department, and such siren may not be used except when such vehicle is operated in response to an emergency call or in the immediate pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law, in which latter events the driver of such vehicle shall sound the siren when reasonably necessary to warn pedestrians and other drivers of the approach thereof.

(CAC 9.44.320; AO No. 78-72; AO No. 80-4; AO No. 94-68(S), § 41, 8-11-94; AO No. 2011-113(S), § 105, 11-22-11, eff. 12-22-11)

Editor's note

This section was formerly codified in the 1977 Code as section 9.44.320.