Feb
26
When you see the flashing blue and red Vehicle Emergency Lights on a police vehicle, you would immediately know that they are chasing after a criminal or performing some other emergency law enforcement activities. But are blue and red the only two types of red lights which can be used by agencies which respond to emergencies? Read on to find out what colored emergency lights are all about.
What Colored Emergency Lights are Made of
First up, let us take a look at exactly what emergency colored lights are made of. There is actually quite a few number of light types which can be used in emergency situations. This includes strobe lights, the typical rotating lights, information matrix signs and Police LED Lights or LED (Light Emitting Diodes).
Out of these four types of emergency lights, LED is the top choice both by car manufacturers and the drivers who install the emergency lights on their vehicles. This is because LED is extremely reliable. This type of light does not consume much power so the battery of the vehicle can be saved, and there is an almost ‘pure quality’ to the color of the light – making it highly visible outdoors.
One Color for Every Type of Emergency Situation
Since the colored emergency lights are used to denote a particular emergency situation, their use in almost every country is regulated. Depending on the country, each color of emergency light has a different representation.
If you are out on the road and you see one of these emergency lights flashing, it is important to know the type of emergency that they denote. This way, you can do your part to make the individual driving the emergency vehicle respond accordingly to the situation.
For example, if you are out driving on a quite narrow road and you see a fire truck coming with its emergency lights flashing, you should immediately make way so that the firefighters can get to the location immediately.
So what are the different types of colors which designate an emergency situation?
The most common one that you have probably already encountered out in the road are red lights. Red is the universal color for emergency. In the United States, the same thing applies when the color is used in emergency situation.
A blue light is typically used by law enforcement vehicles as seen in Police Vehicle Emergency Lights. In other states, however, they can also be mounted on the trucks of firefighter volunteers.
Amber or yellow light is used by utility vehicles, patrol cars or even construction equipment vehicles to denote that they might be running at a speed which is lower than usual.
In some states, green lights are used to denote a fire chief’s car or a volunteer firefighter’s truck. Finally, purple lights are usually installed on funeral vehicles.
Again, it pays to know what the colors of these emergency lights represent so that you can act accordingly in case you are driving while an emergency vehicle passes you by.
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