Emergency vehicle lighting

Emergency vehicle lighting refers to any of several visual warning devices, which may be known as lightbars 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 another motorist that a traffic stop is being initiated.

As a result of the "Verdunkelung", a black-out measure for aerial defense from 1935, cobalt blue was regulated to replace the red color used until 1938 in German emergency vehicle lights.

Light-emitting diodes are small, completely solid state, very power-efficient, long-lasting (as they have no filaments to burn out) and can be seen very easily even at great distances and in sunlight.

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.

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 or due to tradition.

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.

In Japan, many urban emergency vehicles will have lighting that can be mechanically raised when parked to provide greater visibility and safety for personnel working on the ground.

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.

Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) use Red and Blue lights when responding to incidents outside of the airport boundary on public roads.

Further to this, some fire services utilise alternating white and green lights to identify a fill point, in order to differentiate from command vehicles.

[24] Special personal vehicle Firefighter license plates are also available for those Responders (and retired members) that desire them on a departmental sign-off approval basis by local Fire Departments and through Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI).

[27] Firefighters or medical responders' Personally Owned Vehicles are treated as emergency vehicles under Saskatchewan law, meaning that they can disregard, ignore, violate, and break normal traffic and road rules and signs, such as exceeding the speed limit, driving on the wrong side of the road, going past a red traffic signal, etc.

Many busetas (the traditional, unregulated bus systems in many urban areas) and chivas (rural, informal, public buses) also display colorful flashing lights.

In the newest generation, the text display changes between German and English (HALT POLIZEI → STOP POLICE and BITTE FOLGEN → FOLLOW ME).

All utility vehicles such as construction related, tow trucks must be equipped with a yellow-colored emergency light bar on the top, clearly visible from the front and rear side.

Since Dec 2017, new police lightbars feature integrated LED matrix to display messages to front (mirrored) and rear, alternatively changing text in Hungarian and English.

Detachable blue flash lamps are occasionally used by unmarked cars of special police forces, by personal transport services for government members, and diplomatic convoy/escort vehicles.

The use of blue lights not exceeding 50w are limited to vehicles being used:[42] Although not specifically linked to the use of warning beacons, the police, fire brigade and ambulance services (but not the other emergency services listed above) may also choose to allow their drivers to claim legal exemptions from most motoring regulations, such as being able to treat a red traffic light as a give way sign, exceeding the speed limit, passing the wrong side of a keep left/right sign, or parking in restricted areas.

[49] As per the notification of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), the use of these multi-coloured beacon lights is limited to emergency situations or when performing official duty.

However, in the case of FENZ volunteer operational support[65] 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.

1 Series of 1973,[68] Republic Act 4136 Section 34 b-1,[69] the LTO Memorandum - Motorcycle Escorts and Unauthorized use of sirens, blinkers, markers, etc,[70] and Department Of Transportaion Administrative Order 2024-001.

[71] Presidential Decree 96 states that only official government/agency vehicles of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, National Bureau of Investigation, Land Transportation Office, Police Departments, Fire Departments, and Hospital Ambulances can use wang wang, with the list of authorized vehicles being extended by Land Transportation Office Administrative Order No.

Likewise, Section 34 b-1 of Republic Act 4136 allows Police Cars, Fire Wagons, and Ambulances to use a bell, siren, or exhaust whistle of a type approved by the Commissioner of Land Transportation.

However, the late Benigno Aquino III and former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte have both refused to use their LTO Memorandum on Motorcycle Escorts and Unauthorized use of sirens, blinkers, markers, etc.

Spanish legislation restricted blue to police forces and law-enforcement agencies, allowing ambulances and fire engines only the use of yellow/amber lights (typically used throughout the continent to mark slow vehicles).

Despite being technically illegal, some SAMU (ambulances) and fire engines, both usually under the jurisdiction of the Autonomous Communities or Ayuntamientos, used red, white and even blue lights in combination with the yellow/amber ones.

Blue lights and sirens may also be used on vehicles of that belong to private companies or organizations if their role is either life saving or protecting some vital system of society.

[86] They may not, however, 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, for example to pass a stationary vehicle).

It should also be noted that UK legislation considers all reflectors and reflective material to also be 'lights', and all items either being or resembling special warning beacons (of any colour), such as on preserved emergency vehicles, must be covered and not just disconnected (as this is a separate offence)[94] while on the public highway.

This initially was in relation to nautical tradition but has since become tied to a sense of courage and the remembrance of fallen firefighters [108] Emergency medical vehicles, such as ambulances and paramedic fly-cars, generally use white, amber, and red as well.

Red and blue emergency lights on a fire engine in Canberra , Australia
Lighting on an ambulance in the 1970s
A fire truck responding with rotating red lights in Toronto
The parts and workings of a rotating light : Top The assembled beacon, including an optional mirror to be used when the beacon is placed in the windshield or rear window. Center The beacon, with the mirror removed. Bottom left and right The green dome of the beacon has been removed to show its rotating reflector, stationary incandescent lamp, and electric motor.
Police cars at the base of the I-35W bridge collapse . The lightbars mounted on the cars are LED-based. The illuminated back-up lamps seen in the two cars in the foreground are being used as emergency lights which operate on a different circuit, rather than burning steadily to indicate that the cars are in reverse gear.
LED lighting on an ambulance in Toronto
A hide-away strobe light fitted into a headlamp . The strobe light is the coiled glass tube in the bottom of the headlight assembly, near the center of the highlighted region of the picture (click picture to enlarge).
LED Information matrix sign (black surface) on a police car between the beacon and search lights of a Hella RTK7 lightbar
Diagram showing potential mounting positions for internal, body mounted, and removable beacons on a first generation Ford Crown Victoria
A Michigan State Police cruiser with a single red beacon and hood fin
An LED lightbar on a police car , also fitted with ANPR cameras
This light bar has a clear dome under which two rotating lights can be seen. A siren speaker can be installed behind the grill.
A Tokyo police car with the lightbar raised for greater visibility
Body mounted beacon in operation, used to draw attention to the vehicle as it emerges from side roads
A Roads & Traffic Authority vehicle in Australia with interior mounted lights on the rear windshield, along with a lightbar and integrated lighting in the tail lamps
The police car on the right is a slicktop car, lacking the traditional roof-mounted lightbar seen on the car on the left.
An ACT Police vehicle with red and blue lights. Also seen is an LED message board, which can display static or scrolling text.
A Victorian Ambulance responding with alternating blue and red flashing lights
A Fire and Rescue New South Wales fire truck on scene with red and blue lights
An ambulance of the Austrian Red Cross emitting blue emergency lighting
A Toronto Fire truck displays red and white lighting.
A York Regional Police Ford Taurus using blue lights
Toronto Paramedic Services ambulance using red lights
A Carabineros de Chile Charger with green lights
Ambulance in Zlín, Czech Republic, With blue LED lights
Police Nationale police car with blue lights
German emergency vehicles (all blue beacons)
An ambulance from Indonesia
A Dublin Fire Brigade ambulance responding with flashing blue lights
Blue lights in use on a Garda Roads Policing vehicle
Dublin Fire Brigade Foam and Environmental Unit with blue flashing led lights
Toyota Innova Crista patrolling car with multi-colored lights by Telangana State Police
A Mumbai Police Mahindra Bolero patrol vehicle with amber lights and sirens
A Japanese police car with a PATLITE AWS light bar
NEXCO East Japan patrol car with amber and red light bar
A picture of a new Honda Civic 1.8S Malaysian police car patrolling the street with its blue light
A Malaysian ambulance with its flashing red and white lights
Typical New Zealand Police patrol vehicle with current LED lightbar, LED dash lighting and alternating headlights
A St John New Zealand ambulance with red lights
Romanian police vehicle with red and blue lights
Ambulances with green lights at a training simulation in Busan
A London Fire Brigade appliance demonstrating blue and white lights. Both blue and white lights on vehicles are protected under legislation.
Lightbar incorporating blue lights and white 'alley' lights for night-time searches
An ambulance responding with blue flashing lights and alternating headlights — 'wig-wags'
A Metropolitan Police 'area car' with emergency equipment activated. Such vehicle is considered an 'advanced' vehicle.
Vinfast Traffic Patrol Vehicle
A California Highway Patrol Ford Explorer with its emergency lights and traffic advisor on
Kent Ohio Police Ford Police Interceptor Utility
A modern Commerce I.S.D. Police Chevrolet Tahoe Commerce , Texas ( United States )
Required flashing white beacon on top of school buses for a strobe light flashing at the proper period can appear to freeze or have a reverse cyclical motion.
A modern security vehicle using green lights in a mall in Florida
1960s-70s era Fire truck with Federal signal Beacon Ray emergency light and siren mounted on top
A New Jersey EMT's vehicle at night with lights flashing
Private security car with amber/yellow lightbar on top