Vehicles: Department of Motor Vehicle regulations: exemptions.

Existing law requires the Department of the California Highway Patrol to adopt reasonable rules and regulations that are designed to promote the safe operation of certain vehicles. Existing law establishes exceptions to these regulations for vehicles engaged in intrastate commerce that are not transporting hazardous substances, including, among other things, an exception for a driver employed by a law enforcement agency during an emergency or to restore public peace. This bill would include in these exceptions a driver employed under the direction or management of a county road commissioner, a county chief engineer, or a county engineer during an emergency for the purpose of maintaining, restoring, or reopening public roads, maintaining or restoring public infrastructure, or restoring or providing essential public service.