Before emergency lights were created, first responders, particularly the police officers were using decals and official hats to make their cars distinguishable from other vehicles. It was back in the ‘30s when police began using red beacons on their cars. Nowadays, one can easily recognize an emergency vehicle through amber LED lights and flashers. Police cars are obvious with their white, red, and blue lights; ambulances are not difficult to spot with their red and white lights; and fire trucks are very easy to see with their red flashers.
Amber lights serve primarily two main functions on the road. First is creating awareness so that other drivers on the road seeing amber LED lights and other flashing lights would intuitively identify it’s caution. Not only is amber lighting useful for the first responders but it is also used in road maintenance vehicles like tow trucks when at work. The second purpose is for visibility. Amber lights make vehicles visible to other drivers, serving as extra protection for vehicles working on busy roadways or dark areas.
While many users are taking amber lights for granted, they don’t know that these mundane inventions are very capable of preventing accidents from happening and saving lives. Laws that govern the use of amber LED lights vary from state to state and city to city. The best way to know is by looking into one’s specific jurisdiction traffic laws. But in general, most jurisdictions encourage the use of amber lighting both for emergency and non-emergency vehicles involved in roadside works and maintenance.
The common types of non-emergency vehicles allowed to use amber LED lights include utility vehicles, construction vehicles, maintenance vehicles, auto-repair vehicles, security vehicles, tractor-trailers, pilot vehicles, and school buses.
Finally, it is worth highlighting that even in areas where amber lighting is not legally required, fleets that use it can improve the chances of winning bids and contracts for seriously taking traffic safety.
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