Has there ever been a suggestion to introduce red lights to police vehicles such as some other countries use. I know the regulation don't permit forward facing reds, but the same regulations exist in NZ, Aus and the USA among many, and they use red lights.

In Some places, New Zealand, Queensland, California for example only police can use blue, but they are used in combination with red which all other emergency services use. That way fire and Ambos are still able to use reds and sirens to respond, but any vehicle showing a blue light as well is Police only and can pull vehicles over.

Just an Idea, but if UK police added reds to their light bars it would make them stand out immediately from all the other blue light users (including HATO's when they get them )

I asked the transport service for my force about this and the answer was, and I'm not kidding, "red lights make people angry and agressive".

BTW californian Police vehicles MUST by law have a constant and steady red light visible. So if you watch TV and see them with combination of flashing blues and red and no steady you can arrest them.

I tried once, but I hurt my head on the TV screen when trying to tackle dem foney coppers.

Seriously though, red stands out better during the day and in bright sunshine, and blue almost disapears.

A combi of both would help night and day visibility.

PMSL Jules

Were advised to turn our reds off after we have stopped unless we are in a dangrous place. The reason for this is so people are getting used to us been there now and they are starting to know if we put the reds on we are trying to get there attention.

So if a force wanted to, could they introduce reds or is it not allowed by law?

Most forces use red lights to the rear which shows which way the vehicle is facing.

We (VicPol) went to the combo of red and blue for two reasons.

1. Red is more visible in daylight, blue at night.

2. motorists tend to get out of the way for the combination lights as theya re not sure which service it is Police, Ambulance, fire, or State Emergency Service, (Volunteer Rescue group).

When ever I see a Police unit from the rear, the red lights always stand out better than the blues, this is during day light hours and at night! Even the HATO vehicles I have seen working on the motorways, the reds always seem brighter than the ambers!

Years ago (1960ish) Lancashire Police had rotating reds on their Ford Transit Motorway Accident Units, these like the rear facing reds we see today were only used for scene prtection when stationary

Not being funny - but at the end of the day, what does it matter? Surely you don't need to recognise a particular emergency vehicle, you just need to get the hell out of the way!


I think that'd be a bad argument, because it would just mean idiots like chavs can then recognise a cop car and cut them up!

Agree with Cobra. Why should your reaction to a police car on a 999 be any different to an ambo?

This is an argument tha we had many years ago when I was in the fire service. Ambo's and Police cars had the then newish two-tone's which we thought were the dogs bo%%*ks.....we had the old rolling sirens on our fire trucks. Our bosses said that we couldnt have the two tones because it distinguishes us from the other services......a logic I could never get my head round. An emergency vehicle is an emergency vehicle....

I'd prefer to have the old nee naws on the unmarked 'cos people who remember it get out of the way and the whipper snappers get out of the way 'cos it still has the, "wassat, ooohh it's the Sweeney" effect.

I think that this country has too many regs for lighting on emergency vehicles, this is why there is such a stigma to blue lights!

I agree with the comments above that an emergency vehicle is just that no matter which service they are from!

I mentioned on another topic that I wouldnt care if the roof lights were bright pink so long as MOP can see them no matter how bright the sun! After all this is the point of them 'WARNING BEACONS'!!!! If it saves someone smashing into the back of you parked on the hard shoulder and ensures a clear path to an emergency any colour should do!!

I tend to notice the H/L Flash more on the SWP patrol cars. especially on sunny days