Emergency vehicle lighting refers to any of several visual warning devices, which may be known as light bars or beacons, fitted to a vehicle and used when the driver wishes to convey to other road users the urgency of their journey, to provide additional warning of a hazard when stationary, or in the case of law enforcement as a means of signalling the driver to stop for interaction with an officer. These are additional to any standard lighting on the car such as hazard lights and are often used along with
sirensA siren is a loud noise maker. The original version would yield sounds under water, suggesting a link with the sirens of Greek mythology. Most modern ones are civil defense or "air raid" sirens, tornado sirens, or the sirens on emergency service vehicles such as ambulances, police cars and fire...
in order to maximize their effectiveness. In many jurisdictions, the use of these lights may afford the user specific legal powers, and may place requirements on other road users to behave differently, such as compelling them to pull to the side of the road and yield right of way so the emergency vehicle may proceed through at maximum speed.
Purpose
Emergency vehicle lighting is generally used to clear the right of way or to warn oncoming motorists of potential hazards, such as a vehicle that is stopped or moving slower than the rate of traffic. It may also be used to provide specific directions to motorists, such as a command to pull over. Some vehicles incorporate a small arrow board or even a text matrix display to direct traffic.
The use of emergency beacons is restricted by law in many jurisdictions only for responding to an emergency, initiating a traffic stop, bona fide training exercises, or when a specific hazard exists in the road.
Optical types
The optical and mechanical characteristics of the lights used can have a significant effect on the look of the vehicle and how readily it gains attention in emergencies.
Rotating light
These revolving lights may contain a single bulb around which a curved mirror is spun, creating a rotating beam of light, which appears to flash when viewed from a stationary position. Larger rotating lights may contain 2 or 4 modular or
sealed-beamA sealed beam is a type of lamp that includes a reflector and filament as a single assembly, over which a front cover of clear glass, is permanently attached. Previously, automotive headlamps used a separate small bulb and reflector covered with a ribbed lens to avoid glare from the filament. This...
lamps which rotate as an assembly.
To protect the workings of the beacon, a plastic dome often covers the assembly. These domes usually come in solid colors, but in some cases the front and back halves of the dome are different colors. Other beacons use a clear dome with colored lenses on each lamp. Especially in the last case, these rotating beacons are sometimes referred to colloquially as "
gumball machineA gumball machine is a toy or commercial device, a type of vending machine, which dispenses gumballs, usually for a small fee.Originally one penny, the standard cost of one gumball in the United States is one quarter dollar coin.-History:...
s" or sometimes "cherry tops" in the case of red lights.
Rotating lights often use a
quartz-halogenA halogen lamp is an incandescent lamp in which a tungsten filament is sealed into a compact transparent envelope filled with an inert gas and a small amount of halogen such as iodine or bromine...
or conventional
incandescentThe incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe is a source of electric light that works by incandescence . An electric current passes through a thin filament, heating it until it produces light...
bulb, though some rotating beacons are now made with LEDs rather than bulbs.
Rotating lights may be used in lightbars as well as in single beacons. In an enclosed lightbar, generally 'V'- or diamond-shaped mirrors are provided between the lamps to give the effect of multiple flashing lights.
Strobe lights
Some emergency lighting is based on
strobe lightStrobe light or stroboscopic lamp, commonly called a strobe, is a device used to produce regular flashes of light. It is one of a number of devices that can be used as a stroboscope...
s similar to those used in flash photography. These xenon flash lamps put out a very brief but very bright flash by ionizing and then discharging a large current through the gas. The light produced has a somewhat bluish
emission spectrumThe emission spectrum of an element or compound is the relative intensity of electromagnetic radiation of each frequency emitted by atoms or molecules of that element or compound when they are excited....
, which makes red lightbars glow a fuchsia-pink color when lit.
LED lighting
LED-based lighting is becoming very popular in the emergency services for several reasons.
Light-emitting diodeA light-emitting diode , is an electronic light source. The first LED was built in the 1920s by Oleg Vladimirovich Losev, a radio technician who noticed that diodes used in radio receivers emitted light when current was passed through them...
s are small, completely solid state, very power-efficient, and very long-life having no filaments to burn out.
Whether as lightbars or single beacons, LED-based lights typically use a clear, colorless dome because the light color is an intrinsic property of the diodes themselves. LED-based lightbars can be made very thin, reducing
wind resistanceIn fluid dynamics, drag refers to forces that oppose the relative motion of an object through a fluid . Drag forces act in a direction opposite to the oncoming flow velocity...
by around 8-10 percent, or made very flat and used in novel applications, for example to flip up under a sun visor.
LED lights are often used in a mode similar to conventional strobe lights, however they can be programmed with a wider variety of flash patterns because of their ability to be switched directly by electronics, as opposed to discharging a capacitor through a gas-filled tube.
The vehicle's stock lighting may also be modified to add flashing and strobe effects.
Information matrix signs
Some emergency vehicles use signs made up of a large number of light sources (usually LEDs), which can be programmed to display messages to other road users. This can be used to request other vehicles to pull over, indicate a special instruction, or just to display the name of the operating service (e.g. 'Police')
Mounting types
Emergency lighting may be fitted to several places on a vehicle, depending on the degree of conspicuity required. Beacons and lightbars are often mounted on the roof for high visibility, while other lights may be mounted on the bodywork, in the grill, or in the interior of the vehicle.
Since their introduction in the year 1948 rotating beacons have become widely accepted as a means of attracting attention to one's vehicle. Although the use of the single beacon in law enforcement has dropped since the introduction of light bars, they are still used by some police departments because of their lower cost and in some cases simply due to tradition. One agency that famously continues to employ traditional red rotating beacons on its patrol cars is the
Michigan State PoliceThe Michigan State Police is the state police agency for the State of Michigan. The department was founded in 1917 as a war-time constabulary and eventually evolved into the modern agency that it is today. The department's enlisted members are called Troopers...
. Beacons are also commonly used on construction equipment when a full-sized lightbar would be unnecessary or impractical to attach to the vehicle.
While many single beacons use rotating lamps or mirrors, others use strobe lights under a translucent dome to provide an omnidirectional flash. Some smaller and low-cost beacons of the latter type, however, are simply a blinking incandescent bulb. LEDs are also used to light some omnidirectional beacons.
The single beacon is also available with a magnetic mount for situations where permanent mounting is impractical. Examples of such situations would be
detectiveA detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators...
s in unmarked vehicles, volunteer firefighters, or managers at freight yards who use an amber light for safety. These "mag-mount" beacons are often round or teardrop-shaped, and are often referred to as "
KojakKojak is an American television series starring Telly Savalas as the eponymous, bald New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theo Kojak. It aired from October 24, 1973 to March 18, 1978 on CBS. It took the time slot of the popular Cannon series, which was moved one hour earlier...
" lights after the popular 1970s TV detective who used one.
Lightbar
Originally, this referred to a simple metal bar on the roof of the vehicle upon which agencies would mount two rotating beacons, as well as other components such as sirens and stationary "lollipop" lights. Soon the beacon manufacturers began producing off-the-shelf complete "light bars".
Later, the individual components of the lightbar were integrated into a single contiguous unit, with two elongated domes on either side of a siren enclosure. The extended domes allowed for more rotating beacons, additional mirrors, and fixed-beam lights toward the center to replace the "lollipops".
Lightbars may now contain fixed, rotating, strobe, or LED-based lights in various configurations and offering programmable flash patterns. They may include a second, lower, tier of lamps, such as clear halogen "takedown" lights towards the front to illuminate the vehicle being stopped, clear side-facing "alley" spotlights, additional amber or red towards the rear for scene protection, or directional traffic advisory arrows. The modern trend of relocating sirens to the front bumper of emergency vehicles has resulted in many lightbar models eliminating the siren in lieu of more lighting.
Some lightbar variations are specialized to meet certain desires of the agencies utilizing them, such as those using multiple rotating beacons in a "V" pattern to provide additional illumination to the sides of the vehicle, and those designed to hug the roof of a vehicle to minimize air resistance or present a lower profile for "stealth" purposes.
Bodywork mounted
Some types of light can be mounted on to the outside of the vehicle (usually a permanent install) and these can be used to provide directional lighting in key areas, such as in front for clearing traffic, or to the rear for scene protection. They can also form part of the main lighting arrangement for subtly marked or unmarked vehicles. In this application, the operating service may choose to use lights with clear lenses so as to minimize the possibility of the lights being noticed when not on.
Common places to mount such beacons include on or in the grill of the vehicle and on the front of the rear view mirrors, where they can gain maximum visibility. In the UK many emergency vehicles have lights on the side of the bonnet, which helps to warn oncoming traffic when pulling out of junctions. These lights are often strobe or LED types, as they have the lowest profile for purposes of attachment.
Vehicle integral
Sometimes the existing lighting on a vehicle is modified to create warning beacons. In the case of
wig-wagA wig-wag is a device for flashing an automobile's headlights at a preset rate. Traditionally, the wig-wag will flash the right and left headlights alternately, but some designs will flash both headlights on and off together...
lighting, this involves adding a device to alternately flash the high-beam headlights, or, in some countries, the rear fog lights. It can also involve drilling out other lights on the vehicle to add "hideaway" or "corner strobes".
Interior mounted
A variety of emergency lights may be used in the interior of a vehicle, generally on the dashboard, visor area, or rear deck. Uses range from discreet or temporary lighting for unmarked vehicles and volunteer responders, to additional rear lighting on fully-marked vehicles, to a "slick-top" configuration not unlike a full lightbar set.
Interior lighting is available in a variety of form factors, ranging from flat LED panels under the sun visors, to halogen or strobe lights mounted on the rear deck, to "cherry" or oscillating "teardrop" lights mounted on the dash. These may be permanently mounted and wired into the vehicle's electrical system, or they may be temporarily mounted and plug into the vehicle's cigarette lighter. They are often fitted with shields which direct the light through the window, but prevent reflections in to the cab.
The aerodynamic properties of light bars can be important for police applications, as fuel efficiency and drag are concerns in patrol and pursuit. Because of this, some police cars do not have roof mounted lightbars. These "slick-top" cars mount their emergency lights within the cruiser, generally around the periphery of the windshield or into the leading or trailing edge of the roof. Slick-top police cars also lack the silhouette of a lightbar or beacon, making the car harder to identify as a police vehicle. Because of these visual advantages, these vehicles are often referred to as "stealth" or "semi-marked" vehicles as opposed to their "marked" counterparts.
A key disadvantage of relying solely on internal lighting is the number of lights required to achieve true 360 degree visibility, with most lights usually concentrated front and rear. This can limit the application of vehicles for instances such as scene protection.
Perception
A study at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom showed that strobe lighting conveyed a greater sense of urgency to other road users, with the faster the flash the greater urgency, potentially helping to speed the emergency vehicle through traffic. It also concluded that factors such as flash pattern were important, with simultaneously flashing beacons attracting attention far quicker than alternately flashing versions, although this did increase discomfort glare. Unsurprisingly, attention was gained far quicker the higher the intensity of the light was, and the more beacons were present.
This same study compared different light colors for glare and detection time under both daylight and night conditions. While red and blue both compared favorably with amber for glare under various conditions, some contradictory findings were observed for detection time. When all colors were held at equal intensity, amber had the poorest detection time both daytime and night. But when the light source was held at constant intensity, the amber filters, which generally let the most light through, had the best detection time.
Potential hazards
There may be a number of hazards to other road users related to the use of emergency beacons, and these effects should be mitigated as far as possible during vehicle design. These potential hazards include:
- Photosensitive epilepsy
Photosensitive epilepsy is a form of epilepsy in which seizures are triggered by visual stimuli that form patterns in time or space, such as flashing lights, bold, regular patterns, or regular moving patterns.-Symptoms:...
- This is an epileptic reaction to flashing lights in susceptible persons, which can range in severity from an unusual feeling or involuntary twitch to a generalized seizure. This epileptogenic response can be triggered by lights flashing in the frequency range of 10–20 Hz, regardless of color. While individual light sources used on emergency vehicles generally have much lower flash rates than this, the Loughborough study suggests that such possibilities be minimized. It also notes that emergency workers may report distraction and eyestrain unrelated to epilepsy from working under the lights.
- Glare
Glare is difficulty seeing in the presence of bright light such as direct or reflected sunlight or artificial light such as car headlamps at night. Because of this, some cars include mirrors with automatic anti-glare functions....
- A bright light source in a person's field of view can reduce their ability to see other objects. The effect may be exacerbated by rain, windshields, or eyeglasses. The study distinguished between "disability glare", where a driver may be temporarily blinded and unable to see hazards in the road, versus "discomfort glare", which is a more general effect from lights which may cause motorists to avert their eyes. The worst effects for disability glare occurred with amber beacons, strobe beacons, and especially bright lights.
- Phototaxis
Phototaxis is a kind of taxis that occurs when a whole organism moves in response to the stimulus light. This is advantageous for phototrophic organisms as they can orient themselves most efficiently to receive light for photosynthesis...
- This is the so called 'moth-to-flame' effect, where the hypothesis runs that some drivers may be so distracted by the beacons that they are 'drawn' to them. The Loughborough study, referencing the February 1998 issue of the U.S. trade journal Tow Times, asserts that there was a lawsuit in the U.S. where a tow operator was found liable for an accident for this reason, though the study authors were unable to locate any supporting scientific research.
Usage by country
The color of a vehicle's emergency lights is useful to denote the type of vehicle or situation, but the relationship between color and service varies widely by jurisdiction. In North America the usual emergency colors are red and blue, with blue generally reserved for police in many jurisdictions and red reserved for fire departments and emergency medical services. In western Europe the emergency color tends to be only blue, with amber as a warning color for construction equipment, etc. In eastern Europe emergency vehicles use blue, or a combination of blue and red. In Asia the usual emergency color is red.
By far the most common colors for the core emergency services to use are blue and red, and there are some arguments for using both. One study found that for flashing lights, red was more easily perceived in daylight, and blue at night. Furthermore, red has advantages in haze and fog, while blue stands out against traffic at night. On the other hand, a different study found that red had the quickest detection times at night.
Argentina
Argentina uses blue for police, red with some blue for fire, green for ambulances, and amber for utility vehicles.
Australia
In Australia, colors are generally regulated at the state level, but there are some commonalities:
- Red signifies a risk-to-life situation, and is used by fire engines, ambulances, Mines Rescue, Red Cross blood/organ transport, and State Emergency Service
A State Emergency Service is an Australian volunteer organisation that provides emergency help during and after declared disasters....
vehicles in most states. Until recently some states used only red on fire engines and ambulances.
- Amber lights are used by tow trucks and most other utility vehicles.
- Green lights are used to denote a stationary command vehicle. In Queensland it is also used on some State Forest bush fire units along with the amber. Further, in Queensland, some municipal animal control units use a green and amber light combination.
- Blue lights are reserved for emergency vehicles in general, such as police, fire, ambulance, and traffic commanders.
- Magenta (purple) lights are used by council ranger
Council rangers are officers employed by Local Government Areas in Australia to enforce the by-laws of those local governments and a limited range of state laws relating to such matters as litter control, animal control, dog laws, fire control, off-road vehicles, emergency management, and...
s (except in Western Australia where they use amber ) and state trucking inspectors. Also used for the Department Of Environment and Conservation "HAZMAT Response Unit" in Western Australia (Oil/Chemical spills etc..)
- White is used on most newer emergency vehicles, both as an extra color on lightbars and in the form of 'wig-wag' headlights.
Canada
Generally, red is used for emergency vehicles, amber for construction and utility vehicles, and green for volunteer firefighters . Blue is used, along with red, for police, as well as for snow removal vehicles in Ontario and purple is used for a funeral.
Police now use both red and blue in all provinces, now including Ontario, where the color blue had been reserved for snowplows until recently.
Some provinces restrict municipal peace officers (the exact title varies by province) to a different color; for instance red-only in Quebec, and amber in Ontario. However Ontario does permit certain types of provincial enforcement officers, such as Ministry of Transportation, red lights. Officers appointed to enforce the Highway Traffic Act and other statutes use red or red and blue lights as well, such as Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Natural Resources, University Constables and others. White flashing lights are common as a supplemental light on emergency vehicles, particularly for fire and ambulance vehicles.
In some provinces, green may indicate a volunteer firefighter's or medical responder's private vehicle. In addition to the use of optional green lights, volunteer firefighters often receive special licence plate size markings (red letters on a yellow background) to be displayed in place of a front licence plate, or in the window of said vehicle.
Utility vehicles generally use amber. Ontario and Newfoundland use blue lights for snowplows, while Alberta uses amber and red for snowplows, and has a public awareness campaign advising motorists that "flashing amber and red means snowplow ahead". Alberta also allows red lights on certain classes of utility vehicles, such as natural gas utilities which may need to disconnect a gas line in an emergency.
While funeral vehicles may also use amber, more recently some funeral homes in Ontario, and more recently Alberta; have begun using purple lights for identification. Often as a courtesy motorists yield to funeral processions, however they are not required to by law.
- Red and Blue: police; and other "non-police" law enforcement in the provinces of AB, BC, SK, MB, NB, NS, PEI, NL, ON, and the territories of YK, NWT, and NU.
- Red: fire department; and other "non-police" law enforcement in the provinces of BC, ON, and QC.
- Red and White: EMS; and the British Columbia Sheriff Office
- Blue: snow plows, municipal and private contractors
- Amber and Blue: snow plows - Manitoba.
- Amber: construction and utility; funeral homes; airport service vehicles
- Purple: funeral homes - Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, and Prince Edward Island.
- Green: emergency service volunteers
(Other "non-police" law enforcement means entities such as Conservation Officer, Environmental Officer, Provincial Officer, Ministry/Department of Transportation Enforcement Officers, University Constables, Community Peace Officers, and in some cases Municipal By-law Enforcement Officers and Fuel Tax Enforcement Officers)
Europe
In most of Europe emergency vehicles use blue lights. However, it is a darker specification blue than used in other parts of the world. Swedish ambulances and fire engines often use white along with the dark "euro" blue to improve visibility during daylight hours.
German police lightbars often have "POLIZEI" written in white over the dome, and usually incorporate an
LEDLEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
text display that can read, in mirrored writing if towards the front, "STOP POLIZEI" or "BITTE FOLGEN" ("please follow"), to signal drivers to pull over. British police lightbars use the word "STOP".
Red lights are not as common in Europe, though they are used in some countries where red has a specific meaning. Police in Finland, Estonia, Germany and Sweden use a forward-facing red light to indicate that a driver must pull over and stop.
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
and
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
also use red on fire vehicles to designate the command post; in other countries a single green beacon sometimes designates the command post. Greece uses red on fire engines, and red along with blue on police vehicles. In Poland, red is used on some police and military vehicles to show that it leads a convoy. Until recently the National Police in Slovakia used only blue lights, they have recently started using red and blue lights; Municipal and Military Police used blue lights in Slovakia.
Highway Taxation Enforcement Officers of the Dutch Ministry of Finance use red lightbars on their marked patrol vehicles in order to stop vehicles for enforcement purposes.
In The Netherlands, on newer ambulance models red light will alternate the words "Ambulance" and "Spoed". The latter one being Dutch for "urgent". Also, Dutch police cars have a red light on their police cars with the words "POLITIE" (Police), "STOP" (Stop) and "Volgen" (Follow). In a mass-casualty event, the first ambulance will have a flashing or rotating green light.
In
LatviaLatvia , officially the Republic of Latvia is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , and to the southeast by Belarus . Across the Baltic Sea to the west lies Sweden...
, mostly all the emergency vehicles are equipped with roof lightbars that are:
- white with white/dark blue colour with smaller EU dark blue lights - Police
Law enforcement in Latvia is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior, which is composed of the State Police, Security Police and State Border Guard branches.In 2003, the State Police consisted of 8,222 officers..-External links:***...
(Policija), Road police(Ceļu policija)
- dark blue with smaller white lights + dark blue beacons - Paramedics (Neatliekamā ātrā palīdzība)
The gas emergency service (Avārijas dienests/Gāzes avārijas dienests) and the firefighter cars are equipped with the dark blue beacons on top. The gas emergency service vehicles don't have lightbars.
The Police cars are the only ones that have dark blue dash flashers.
Amber lights generally designate nonemergency or slow movement vehicles such as tow trucks,
tractorA tractor is a vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used in agriculture or construction...
s,
combine harvesterThe combine harvester, or simply combine, is a machine that harvests grain crops. The objective is to complete three processes, which used to be distinct, in one pass of the machine over a particular part of the field. Among the crops harvested with a combine are wheat, oats, rye, barley, corn ,...
s or construction equipment.
United Kingdom
Usage of emergency vehicle lighting is restricted in the United Kingdom through the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989. It is illegal for any vehicle to show a flashing coloured light (with the exception of the normal direction indicators and Anti lock brake indicators, unless it is an emergency or other authorised vehicle.
The main colour for
emergency serviceEmergency services are organizations which ensure public safety by addressing different emergencies. Some agencies exist solely for addressing certain types of emergencies whilst others deal with ad hoc emergencies as part of their normal responsibilities...
vehicles is overwhelmingly blue, although there is also widespread use of flashing (white) headlights. The legal definition of an emergency vehicle limits the use of both methods to vehicles used for:
- fire brigade, ambulance or police purposes (although no restriction exists here on private fire brigades or ambulance services)
- fire salvage
- Forestry commission or local authority when fighting fires
- Ministry of defence bomb disposal, mountain rescue, nuclear emergency or armament support
- Blood transfusion vehicles operating under the National Health Service Act (or Scottish equivalent)
- HM Coastguard and auxiliary#
- British Coal Corporation (for mine rescue)
- RNLI
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the British Isles, as well as inshore. It was founded on 4 March 1824 as the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, adopting the present name in 1854...
vehicles launching lifeboats
- vehicles used for the purpose of conveying human tissue for transplant
- HM Revenue and Customs where investigating serious crime.
Blue flashing lights must only be lit at the scene of an emergency, or when the driver considers it desirable to indicate that the journey being undertaken is urgent. Under these circumstances, some services may also choose to allow their drivers to claim legal exemptions from certain motoring regulations (although these are not specifically linked to the use of warning beacons), such as being able to treat a red traffic light as a give way sign, ignoring the speed limit and passing the wrong side of a keep left/right sign. They may not, ignore "no entry" signs, drive the wrong way down a one-way street or cross a solid white line in the middle of the road (other than the same exceptions granted everyone else e.g. to pass a stationary vehicle). In reality some drivers will disobey other laws at their professional judgement but they do so without any automatic protection from the law. Some services, such as HM coastguard do not allow all their staff to claim all the exemptions available to them.
With the exception of breaking the speed limit, which requires the driver to have completed or be performing a suitable training course, no qualification other than a
driver's licenseA driver's license, driver license, driver licence, or driving licence is an official document which states that a person may operate a motorized vehicle, such as a motorcycle, car, truck or a bus. The laws relating to driver's licensing vary between jurisdictions...
is legally required to use blue lights, though most organisations will insist that their drivers are trained in emergency driving techniques.
The common combination of blue flashing lights with two-tone sirens has led to '
blues and twosBlues and twos is a colloquial term that refers to the emergency vehicle equipment of combined flashing lights as well as sirens that the emergency services in the UK use when responding to an incident...
' becoming a nickname for the core emergency services as a whole, as well as the title of a British documentary series depicting them.
Doctors on emergency calls are allowed a green courtesy light. Flashing red lights are not generally allowed on vehicles, though many emergency vehicles have rear-facing flashing red lights, which are used to signify that the vehicle is stationary. These are, however, specifically prohibited by the RVLR.
Checkered lights denote command and control vehicles - these are red and white for fire (one of the few situations where a forward-facing red light may be shown), blue and white for police and green and white for ambulance, and are often fitted in the middle of the light bar.
Amber lights grant no priority in traffic and exist purely to advertise the vehicle's presence. The RLVR specifies several classes of vehicles which may use amber lights, such as towing, highway maintenance, pilot vehicles escorting an oversize load, and vehicles unable to travel over 25 mph and fitting these lights to other vehicles is technically illegal (although these beacons are widely fitted to vehicles as wide ranging as security and ambulances).
It should also be noted that UK legislation considers all lights, reflectors and reflective material to be lights, and all items resembling special warning beacons (of any colour) must be covered and not just disconnected (as this is a separate offence) while on the public highway. Similarly, no distinction is made between lights mounted on light bars and those mounted anywhere else on the vehicle (e.g. headlights, indicators, brake lights) - all are covered by the same regulations.
Hong Kong
Under Hong Kong Law, Chapter 374G of the Road Traffic (Traffic Control) Regulations: Section 46
Giving way to animals, police vehicles, ambulances, etc, drivers must yield to vehicles who are sounding siren or flashing light bars.
- Red and Blue: Hong Kong Police Force
The Hong Kong Police Force is the police department of Hong Kong. Formed in 1844 with a strength of 35, the force evolved from an extremely broad-based role , to that of a traditional police service, with mostly civic responsibilities - although the force is still heavily committed to countering...
- Red only: Fire Services Department fire engines
- Blue only: Ambulances, whether operated by Fire Services Department, Auxiliary Medical Services
Auxiliary Medical Service is a well-trained, committed voluntary medical and health services provider in Hong Kong. Its mission is to supply effectively and efficiently regular services to maintain the health and well-being of people in Hong Kong....
, or Hong Kong St. John AmbulanceHong Kong St. John Ambulance is a charitable organization with a long history stretching back over a century and has been serving the community since 1884...
, also Customs and Excise Department, Hong Kong Correctional ServicesHong Kong Correctional Services is responsible for prisoners and prisons in Hong Kong. The Commissioner of Correctional Services reports to the Secretary for Security....
- Amber only: Utility vehicles, also Civil Aid Service
The Civil Aid Service or CAS in short is a civil organisation that assist in a variety of auxiliary emergency roles, including search and rescue operations in Hong Kong:...
, and all vehicles in the air-side of the airportHong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong, People's Republic of China. It is colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport , because it was built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation, and also to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed Kai Tak Airport.The...
(for pilots' visibility)
Japan
Red is the most used color on Japanese emergency vehicles, with the exception of the wig-wag headlights. The Japanese police uses light bars mounted on a raised platform or a mechanical raised platform to make them more visible over congested streets. Rotating light are the most commonly used. But some of the newer fire vehicles do have LED light bars installed. Vehicles with any other color light are security or engineers.
- Red: Police Department
Law Enforcement in Japan is provided by the Prefectural Police under the oversight of the National Police Agency or NPA. The NPA is headed by the National Public Safety Commission thus ensuring that Japan's police are an apolitical body and free of direct central government executive control...
, Fire Department, and any other emergency vehicles.
- Amber: Engineer vehicles and Japan Highway Public Corporation
, or JH, was a public company established to construct and manage highway networks in Japan, founded in 1956.On October 1, 2005, JH was divided into three private enterprises, East Nippon Expressway Co., Ltd. , Central Nippon Expressway Co., Ltd. , and West Nippon Expressway Co., Ltd....
vehicles.
- Blue: Security and City vehicles.
New Zealand
In New Zealand, the colors used on lightbars and beacons are defined by the New Zealand Land Transport Safety Authority regulations.
- Red: Used by any vehicle defined as an emergency vehicle to signify vehicles to give way to the emergency vehicle. This includes the New Zealand Fire Service
The New Zealand Fire Service is New Zealand's national fire fighting body. While its founding legislation, the Fire Service Act 1975, only provides for this role, the organisation has assumed responsibility for several other areas.-Strategic Direction:The New Zealand Fire Service has defined for...
, recognized ambulance services, and the New Zealand PoliceThe New Zealand Police is the national police force of New Zealand, responsible for enforcing criminal law, enhancing public safety, maintaining order and keeping the peace throughout New Zealand...
.
- Blue: Used by any vehicle that has statutory authority to signify a vehicle to pull over and stop. Currently only used by the police, but after 1 November 2009, can be used by customs officers, fisheries officers, and marine reserve officers.
- Amber: Amber lights may be operated by towing companies, traffic management agencies, or by other utility vehicles when necessary to warn other motorists of a hazard. Amber must also be fitted to oversize vehicles and their pilot vehicles.
- Purple: Purple and amber lights must be fitted to pilot vehicles escorting an oversize vehicle.
- Green: A vehicle operated by a registered medical practitioner, such as a doctor, nurse or midwife, may be fitted with a single green beacon.
Volunteers in general are afforded no special privileges and cannot use flashing lights or sirens in order to navigate traffic. However, volunteer
Fire PoliceFire Police are Volunteer Fire Brigade/Company members who have sworn police powers. They receive special police training and are responsible for traffic control, crowd control, fire and incident scene security, apparatus security, and station security during calls for service.They also assist...
members who respond to calls in their own private vehicles may be authorized by their unit or brigade to display a red beacon, for reasons of safety and identification. However, these lights may only be fitted and operational while stationary at an emergency scene, not while mobile in traffic.
South Korea
- police: Police cars use a six-bulb strobe based lightbar, red and blue. Motorcycles use either red or blue lights(rotating).
- ambulances: Ambulances have many different colors. Private hospital ambulances use green and red while government-operated ambulances use red and white or green and white.
- fire department: Fire engines are fitted with red and white LED/strobe lights.
United States
In the United States, colors are generally regulated at the state level, but there are some commonalities.
- Red almost always denotes an emergency vehicle if the lights are facing forward, in the state of Iowa, red lights can also be used on a funeral hearse
A hearse is a funeral vehicle, a conveyance for the casket from e.g. a church to a cemetery, a similar burial site, or a crematorium. In the funeral trade, they are often called funeral coaches.-History:...
, but only during funerals.
- Amber
Amber is an orange-yellow color that got its name from the material known as amber. Due to this, amber can refer not to one but to a series of shades of orange, since the natural material varies from nearly yellow when newer to orange or reddish-orange when older.-Amber:Amber as shown in the color...
or Yellow lights are often used by vehicles such as construction vehicles, tow trucks, funeral escorts, security patrol vehicles or other vehicles which may be stopped or moving slower than the flow of traffic. Amber is usually the most permissively regulated color. In the state of Iowa, amber lights are used primarily on State DOT vehicles that are used either to remove snow, or utility vehicles.
- White is often used as an optional color on lightbars, though it may be restricted to emergency vehicles in some states. It is rarely used as the only color on a lightbar, though Arkansas, Rhode Island, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, Maryland, West Virginia, South Dakota and Kentucky require flashing white beacons on school buses. Certain railroad-related machines, like fueling tankers or switching engines, may also use a flashing white light.
- Green on a fire chief's car or a mobile command post denotes the command vehicle on scene; this usage derives from the use of green flags in the Incident Command System
Center of Excellence in Disaster Humanitarian Assistance describes the Incident Command System as, "a set of personnel, policies, procedures, facilities, and equipment, integrated into a common organizational structure designed to improve emergency response operations of all types and...
. Green can also denote a firefighter or EMT's vehicle in some states. In some states, green is used by private security guards.
- Blue is reserved for law enforcement, firefighters and EMTs. In New Mexico, tow trucks have blue lights. In Texas light Construction vehicles use Blue along with Amber. Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, and Nebraska also use blue lights on snowplows.
- Purple is permitted in some states to denote a funeral vehicle.
Police
Police agencies may use red, blue, or both, depending on the state, along with white and amber as optional colors; although amber is usually restricted to face behind the vehicle. Some police cars have an amber traffic-control stick, or "arrow stick", behind the lightbar to direct traffic left or right around the vehicle; these usually have 6 or 8 rear-facing lights that flash in sequence.
Some privately-operated
special policeSpecial police and Special Police Force are terms which have different meanings in different countries, as described below.-Canada:Special Police is not a term used in Canada...
are allowed to display the same colors as regular police, generally, if they receive their special police authority at the state level. This can include railroad, university, hospital, and humane society police departments.
Fire and EMS
Fire and
emergency medical servicesEmergency medical services are a branch of emergency services 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.Emergency...
generally use red and white lights. Vehicles operated by fire departments, such as fire engines and
heavy rescue vehicleA heavy rescue vehicle, often referred to as a rescue company, rescue squad, heavy rescue, or simply, fire engine is a type of specialty firefighting or EMS apparatus...
s, prominently use red, a color with strong cultural associations with the fire service, along with some white. Amber, and blue in some states, are also shown towards the rear. Many fire chiefs' cars have, in addition to the red lights, a single green beacon to indicate command post status. On the other hand, in Chicago and some nearby communities, fire vehicles show a green light on the right, or starboard, side of the vehicle, reflecting nautical tradition.
Emergency medical vehicles, such as
ambulanceAn ambulance is a vehicle for transporting sick or injured people, to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury. The term ambulance is used to describe a vehicle used to bring medical care to patients outside of the hospital or to transport the patient to hospital for follow-up...
s and paramedic
fly-carA fly-car, also known as a RRV , QRV , QRS , ERV , Medic-car, Paramedic Chase Car, Fast Response Unit/Fast Response Car, Tango [Unit] or simply an ambulance car, is a production car A fly-car, also known as a RRV (rapid response vehicle), QRV (quick response vehicle), QRS (quick response service),...
s, generally use white and red, with an amber light facing the rear. Some states have a specific rule authorizing light colors for EMS vehicles, while on the other hand some EMS vehicles "inherit" their light colors from the fire or police department they are operated by or contracted to, and may show blue lights.
The
National Fire Protection AssociationThe National Fire Protection Association is a U.S. organization charged with creating and maintaining minimum standards and requirements for fire prevention and suppression activities, training, and equipment, as well as other life-safety codes and standards...
publishes the
NFPA-1901NFPA 1901, the Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus, is published by the National Fire Protection Association to outline the standard for firefighting apparatus. The listing sets minimum standards for mechanical, cosmetic, lighting, and all equipment to be included with fire apparatus to be...
standards for fire vehicles, which specifies the degree of lighting on various parts of the vehicles, with some flexibility as to color. There is also a
GSAThe General Services Administration is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies products and communications for U.S...
procurement specification for ambulances known as KKK-A-1822-F, which many local authorities follow.
Volunteer Personnel
Many U.S. states allow volunteer fire and
EMSEmergency medical services are a branch of emergency services 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.Emergency...
personnel to place emergency warning lights in their personal vehicles for use when responding to emergencies. The laws vary greatly by state. For instance, Virginia state law allows emergency personnel to equip one private vehicle
"with no more than two flashing or steady-burning red or red and white combination warning lights".
The degree of lighting is mandated by law and also by local custom in most areas, and can vary from a single rotating light on the dashboard or roof, to a setup much like modern police cruisers. Some states also allow volunteer use of sirens and air horns to clear the right of way.
In some states, volunteers are allowed to use the normal red lights, while in other states volunteers must use some other color, usually blue or green. In the latter case, the lights are used as a courtesy to "request" the right of way and generally do not mandate pulling over. Some states, such as New Jersey and Pennsylvania, limit volunteer use of red lights to chiefs and captains of squads.
Separate colors may be used for fire versus EMS volunteers. In Connecticut, Indiana, and New York, volunteer firefighters use blue while volunteer EMTs use green. New York also certifies some volunteer EMTs to use red lights and sirens provided their vehicles carry certain equipment; this is often used by
HatzolahHatzolah/Hatzalah is a volunteer Emergency Medical Service organization serving mostly Jewish communities around the world. Most local branches operate independently of each other, but use the common name...
volunteers in the NYC area.
The conflicting color assignments can create issues for volunteers who drive their vehicles out of state. While some authorities may be satisfied with covering the lights with an "Out Of Service" tarp, compliance may be more difficult in other jurisdictions. For example, Arkansas bars civilian possession of blue lights on or in a vehicle unless sealed in the manufacturer's original package.
The confusion generated by the different colors in each state can also cause problems for drivers who travel into others states. One color in their state may mean firefighter or EMT when in another state it may mean police, obviously causing problems.
Utility Vehicles
Yellow lights have become popular in the civilian arena as a way of drawing attention to a vehicle involved in non-emergency work. Most phone and cable companies, towing services, and certain types of construction equipment mount some type of lightbar; additionally, several local and state vehicles involved in maintenance work for roads, gas and water pipes, electric services, and so forth utilize yellow lights for a higher degree of visibility. In
Detroit, MichiganDetroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. Located north of Windsor, Ontario, Detroit is the only major U.S. city that looks south to Canada. It was founded...
, Angels' Night volunteers will patrol neighborhoods with yellow lights to help deter vandalism during
Devil's NightDevil's Night is a name associated with October 30, the night before Halloween. It is related to "mischief night" practiced in other parts of the United States and the world.-Description:Devil's Night in Detroit dates as early as the 1930s...
and
HalloweenHalloween is an annual holiday celebrated on October 31. It has roots in the Gaelic pagan festival of Samhain and the Christian holy day of All Saints. It is largely a secular celebration but some have expressed strong feelings about perceived religious overtones...
. Typically these lights are the single beacon kind, although lightbars have been used for vehicles of this type, especially on wreckers/tow trucks. Also in Michigan, emergency road service vehicles (tow trucks, wreckers, etc.) are allowed to use red warning lights only when stationary.
In states that do not enforce specific rules about green, yellow or white lights, they are often used by entities like private security companies which may be ineligible to use blue or red lights but wish to distinguish themselves from utility vehicles. Security vehicles generally use their lights on private property and are generally not allowed a "courtesy" or "emergency" light on public roads. Some security companies have gone so far as equipping their vehicles with sirens.
Optional colors
Often while certain colors are customarily used by different services, there are other colors that are optionally used, such as amber and white. Sometimes this is done to satisfy particular regulations; for example, California requires a steady red light facing forward on every emergency vehicle.
See also
- Automotive lighting
The lighting system of a motor vehicle consists of lighting and signalling devices mounted or integrated to the front, sides and rear of the vehicle...
- Emergency vehicle equipment
Emergency vehicle equipment is the equipment fitted to, or carried by, an emergency vehicle, which is additional to any equipment such as headlights, steering wheels or windshield/windscreens that a standard non-emergency vehicle is fitted with....