Sec. 45.1. Emergency lighting equipment required

(a) Subdivision 17 of section 375 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law provides that every omnibus having a seating capacity of more than 10 passengers, every truck having a maximum gross weight in excess of 12,000 pounds and every combination of tractor and trailer operated upon a public highway, shall carry emergency lighting equipment ready at all times for immediate use. The equipment may consist of flares of the type used by railroads, flaring candles, torches, lanterns or red emergency reflectors provided it is adequate to provide a warning light in all kinds of weather both in front of and in the rear of the vehicle for at least eight hours.

(b) If red emergency reflectors are used, no such reflector shall be deemed adequate unless it is of a size and type approved by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, and conforms to minimum specifications established by him, which minimum shall not be less than the minimum established by the Interstate Commerce Commission for buses and trucks in interstate commerce.

(c) Three bidirectional emergency reflective triangles that conform to the requirements of Federal motor vehicle safety standard No. 125 (section 571.125 of title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations) are deemed to comply with this Part. Sections 45.2, 45.3 and 45.4 of this Part shall not apply to such reflective triangles. Section 45.5 of this Part shall apply with full force and effect to such triangles.

(d) On 1975 and newer vehicles, if reflectors are used to satisfy the emergency lighting requirement, the reflector shall be three bidirectional emergency reflective triangles that conform to the requirements of Federal motor vehicle safety standard No. 125. After June 1, 1974, if reflectors are obtained to satisfy the emergency lighting requirement for a 1974 or older vehicle, the reflectors shall be three bidirectional emergency reflective triangles that conform to the requirements of Federal motor vehicle safety standard No. 125.

(e) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed as preventing the use of reflectors approved under section 45.4 of this Part to meet the emergency lighting requirement if the reflectors were in use on the particular vehicle prior to June 1, 1974.