Restrictions on use of lights.
Red and blue lights on police cars.
Lights on police cars have actually been around for quite a while which is why everyone knows what the flashing red and blue lights mean when they are visible.
Want to know why these laws are in place.
In wisconsin emergency light allows police to use red and blue lighting.
So long story short it depends.
Yellow lights warn approaching vehicles that patrol cars are slowing down or.
And to make it clear red lights can only be used in the event of an emergency.
In any other case police cars are only allowed to use blue lights such as a blue light bar and florida s laws make it very clear that use of blue lighting on any non designated vehicle is prohibited.
Outfit your police or emergency vehicle.
Effective september 1 2018 section 547 305 of the transportation code is amended to limit security patrol vehicles to green amber or white lights see hb 2812 85th leg.
No other vehicles in wisconsin are permitted to use red or blue police lights on department or personal vehicles.
Some exceptions are occasionally made for individual vehicles.
A a motor vehicle lamp or illuminating device other than a headlamp spotlamp auxiliary lamp turn signal lamp or emergency vehicle.
White lights are used by night shift officers to brighten dark areas or to shine on suspects who are traveling on foot or being interviewed.
Red lights signify an immediate emergency.
However such as in the state of florida state law says police may have red and blue lights where as blue is authorized to sheriff s deparments.
Red and blue strobe and led light bars for police and emergency vehicles at extreme tactical dynamics.
Therefore depending on how strictly the law is interpretted most city police departments will have red and blue but most county sheriff s will only have blue.
Blue lights define police presence and can be spotted easily from a great distance.
In the 1940 s most police departments used a simple beacon light mounted atop their patrol units or a single non flashing red light at the front of the car.
Perhaps then the best solution are the local police cars i noticed just the other night with a mix of flashing red and blue on their light bars.
The choice of red most likely originated from the color red being associated with stop and other warning signs across the country.
In california emergency vehicles must display at least one forward facing steady burn red light.
Some also argue red has an advantage in haze and fog.
