Courtesy lights
Encyclopedia
Courtesy Lights are used by volunteer firefighter
s and emergency medical technician
s (EMTs) to expedite their drive, in their privately owned vehicles, to their firehouse or EMS
Base. Courtesy lights are also used by tow-trucks, snow-plows and other hazardous vehicles, as well as some construction vehicles, rural mail delivery vehicles and school bus
es.
Some states, such as Kentucky
, give personal vehicles used by firefighters, EMTs, and rescue squad members the same privileges as emergency vehicles, and may break traditional traffic laws such as speed while en route to an emergency. In New York, as a courtesy, it is civil and neighborly, but not always required by law, to let a vehicle displaying blue or green courtesy lights pass, if it is safe to do so. In New Jersey it is required by law for drivers to yield to vehicles displaying a blue light or red light. In Maine, TITLE 29-A, Subsection 2054 states, Firefighters, EMT's, and Paramedics per Chief or Director of there respective department can authorize the use of red or combination red and white auxiliary lights above the front registration plate and below the roof of the POV en route and at the scene of an emergency. All Maine state traffic laws and regulations apply.
A vehicle displaying amber lights is not responding to an emergency, and right-of-way need not be yielded, as it may create an unnecessary dangerous situation.
A permit is required to display a courtesy light.
For vehicles with amber lights, courtesy lights generally create a safer situation. This is because the primary function of an amber light is to increase visibility, not expedite travel. Still, vehicles involved with accidents that display amber lights are not heeded as much as their red- or blue-light displaying counterparts, which makes a crash scene more dangerous for a tow-truck operator than a firefighter or EMT.
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
s and emergency medical technician
Emergency medical technician
Emergency Medical Technician or Ambulance Technician are terms used in some countries to denote a healthcare provider of emergency medical services...
s (EMTs) to expedite their drive, in their privately owned vehicles, to their firehouse or EMS
Emergency medical services
Emergency medical services are a type of emergency service dedicated to providing out-of-hospital acute medical care and/or transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient, or the medical practitioner, believes constitutes a medical emergency...
Base. Courtesy lights are also used by tow-trucks, snow-plows and other hazardous vehicles, as well as some construction vehicles, rural mail delivery vehicles and school bus
School bus
A school bus is a type of bus designed and manufactured for student transport: carrying children and teenagers to and from school and school events...
es.
Laws
A vehicle lawfully displaying courtesy lights is not an emergency response vehicle. In some states, there are no laws that permit vehicles with courtesy lights to break traffic laws, hence the name courtesy lights. A vehicle with courtesy lights must still stop at stop signs, red lights, etc. and may not speed or disobey any traffic regulations. Usually, violation ticket fines are increased if the ticketed car was flashing courtesy lights. Laws vary greatly by state.Some states, such as Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, give personal vehicles used by firefighters, EMTs, and rescue squad members the same privileges as emergency vehicles, and may break traditional traffic laws such as speed while en route to an emergency. In New York, as a courtesy, it is civil and neighborly, but not always required by law, to let a vehicle displaying blue or green courtesy lights pass, if it is safe to do so. In New Jersey it is required by law for drivers to yield to vehicles displaying a blue light or red light. In Maine, TITLE 29-A, Subsection 2054 states, Firefighters, EMT's, and Paramedics per Chief or Director of there respective department can authorize the use of red or combination red and white auxiliary lights above the front registration plate and below the roof of the POV en route and at the scene of an emergency. All Maine state traffic laws and regulations apply.
A vehicle displaying amber lights is not responding to an emergency, and right-of-way need not be yielded, as it may create an unnecessary dangerous situation.
A permit is required to display a courtesy light.
Colors
Different vehicles use different colored lights:- Volunteer Firefighters use blue and/or white courtesy lights (see picture), though some states designate red emergency lights for volunteer/call firefighters.
- Volunteer EMTs use green courtesy lights, but some states will allow volunteer EMTs to use a blue or red courtesy light.
- Tow-trucks and other vehicles, including construction vehicles, use amberAmberAmber is fossilized tree resin , which has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Amber is used as an ingredient in perfumes, as a healing agent in folk medicine, and as jewelry. There are five classes of amber, defined on the basis of their chemical constituents...
courtesy lights.
Potential Danger
If not used in accordance with vehicle and traffic laws, courtesy lights may present a great danger to volunteer firefighters and EMTs, who use the lights to exceed the speed limit or pass other vehicles. The largest category (30%) of fatal crashes for volunteer firefighters (from 1994–2004) involved personal vehicles. Of those crashed, 80% occurred en route to the firehouse for an alarm. Some firefighters, usually department veterans, choose not to display courtesy lights, claiming that they do not even significantly decrease response time.For vehicles with amber lights, courtesy lights generally create a safer situation. This is because the primary function of an amber light is to increase visibility, not expedite travel. Still, vehicles involved with accidents that display amber lights are not heeded as much as their red- or blue-light displaying counterparts, which makes a crash scene more dangerous for a tow-truck operator than a firefighter or EMT.
New Jersey Blue Light Laws
In New Jersey, a privately owned vehicle (POV) is only allowed to display a blue light with a permit. The approval of the permit is based on the status of the individual. EMTs and firefighters display blue lights, while officers of Emergency Medical Service squads and fire departments are allowed to display red lights. Vehicles with courtesy lights in New Jersey are not permitted to break traffic laws. However, it is required by law for vehicles to yield to vehicles using blue(red) lights. Hide-a-way and headlight flashers (commonly known as wig-wags) are not allowed on a POV in New Jersey.See also
- Automotive lightingAutomotive lightingThe lighting system of a motor vehicle consists of lighting and signalling devices mounted or integrated to the front, sides, rear, and in some cases the top of the motor vehicle...
- Volunteer FirefightersVolunteer fire departmentSee also the Firefighter article and its respective sections regarding VFDs in other countries.A volunteer fire department is a fire department composed of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction.The first organized force of...
- Emergency Medical TechniciansEmergency medical technicianEmergency Medical Technician or Ambulance Technician are terms used in some countries to denote a healthcare provider of emergency medical services...