Police Lights - The Changes Over Time

What used to identify a police vehicle has changed over time. The police lights we used to see in the previous decades have been replaced in many states with light bars instead. In the past flashing red lights on a bar have been replace with illuminating lights that often "dance" across the top of the car. While providing more visibility to the police vehicle in pursuit of a suspect or during a stop on the side of the road, they can also be distracting to drivers on the road. Of course, this can be helpful as well because drivers will have the need to be more observant.

Police lights can also be overbearing and block a driver's field of vision when they are moving across the top of the light bar. While this provides plenty of warning for others who may be approaching the police vehicle, it can create visual impairment as well. In addition to the flashing bar lights there may be differences in colors as well. Some states include a combination of colors-for example, red, white and blue-instead of the standard red or red and white lights. They may also include LED bar lights in the grill as an additional warning device for approaching traffic.

When people choose to use LED bar lights on the tops or grilles of their vehicles it's important they choose colors that do not interfere with those used by police. While the standard red police lights have been replaced in most states with a color combination such as red and blue or red white and blue, the standard red flashing lights are still used by other emergency vehicles. It can be confusing for an approaching motorist if a construction or road service vehicle uses lights that are the same color as the lights emergency vehicles commonly display.

While it is common for states to vary the color scheme of police lights, they do not do so in an obvious way. For example, you will not find a police car displaying green and maroon lights-this would cause confusion for motorists who would have no idea there was a police car in the area. While this could prove useful for unmarked police cars that are attempting to apprehend speeders, for the most part the practice would cause confusion and chaos. Changes are only good when they make things easier and more uniform; when they have the potential to cause confusion and chaos they should be avoided at all costs.