Vehicle Emergency Lights: The Rules of Engagement

Emergency lights for automobiles can come in an amazingly broad array of colors, shapes and styles. Usually, such lighting is used to signal surrounding traffic that an emergency is underway, or a perhaps issue a lower grade warning to communicate caution for vehicles to yield right of way. Independent contractors such as roofers, electricians, and security guards all benefit from the usage of emergency lighting in appropriate situations. The number of local volunteer emergency personnel has also been on the rise, creating even more of a need for the properly applied use of emergency vehicle lights . Laws vary from state to state as to what colors are allowed for civilian use, so research your locality for allowable color codes. The following classifications apply to the United States.

Color code Overview

Red is the best known of all the emergency light colors . Forward facing red lights are most often exclusively reserved for police and fire department, though they can also be used in certain states for funeral hearses.

Blue lights are often reserved for law enforcement in most states, but tow trucks and EMTs can legally use this color as well. Many western states are also allowed to use blue lights on snowplows.
Amber/Yellow lights are traditionally used for construction vehicles or tow trucks, indicating a vehicle is going slower than the flow of traffic. This color is one of the most common colors used for non-emergency purposes, though they can also signal danger, such as a downed power line.

Green is a less common warning light color. Green can signify a command vehicle such as a fire chief's car. EMTs and volunteer firefighters will often use green as if other colors in a given state ( such as blue ) are reserved. Green can also connote a HAZMAT vehicle.

White lights are often used as "sidebar" lights in combination with other emergency colors. School buses in some states are required to use a white light beacon when dropping off and picking up passengers. White is also used as front lights accompanied by red for emergency medical vehicles.

Emergency Light Types

Emergency vehicle lights come in as many varieties as they do colors. Perhaps the best known shape is the red and blue "lightbar" of the police strobe. Lightbars can also be used on emergency and service vehicles such as tow trucks or electric utility vehicles. Tow trucks will often run a red sidebar light, while electric utility trucks will run amber or yellow. Small sidebar lights can also be interior mounted for "undercover" work by police officers. Dash mounted lights are completely invisible to traffic until activated. LED lightbars are more expensive than their halogen counterparts, but they're also more efficient. A popular trend in undercover law enforcement is to place a small LED lightbar on the sun visor, where it's out of the way, but highly visible when activated.

Beacon lights have a cylindrical shaped housing, containing one interior light that slowly rotates. They have fallen out of fashion in law enforcement, being replaced by the ubiquitous red and blue strobe lightbar. Beacon lights are often seen today as more old fashioned; being identified with 50's era TV police dramas. Some police departments however still use them as a matter of pride and tradition, one example being the Michigan State Police. Volunteer fire departments and security services will often use magnetic mounted light beacons where they can be put on the roof of a car to notify traffic, and then put away when no longer needed. This is often called the "Kojak" light, named after the 70s private detective TV character.

All emergency lighting often has dramatic connotations, such as in the "Kojak" example above. However, emergency lights have a serious purpose and are designed for one essential function; to quickly communicate a critical, time sensitive situation. In the age of texting, Twitters and cell phones, no other form of communication approaches the effectiveness of emergency / auxiliary lighting when there is a need to quickly inform surrounding traffic.