Blue Light Driving Rules


Florida laws include regulations for the different colors of the lights allowed on all vehicles. Only specially marked vehicles may display red or blue lights visible from the front of the vehicle. The current state of the law that governs the use of blue light by volunteer firefighters and others in New York State is listed below. The full text of the laws discussed below is available in fasny`s 2020 edition of the New York State Fire Departments Act at page 698 (Vehicle and Traffic Law § 375) and page 810 (15 NYCRR Part 44). All blue lights of vehicles referred to in this Article shall be directed only towards the rear. This is important and a clear demarcation to the blue lights of the volunteer firefighters, which must be visible from the front of the vehicle. The only exception to the “rear-facing rule” is that a blue light can be mounted in a trunk or hatch if the trunk or hatch hides a rear-facing blue light on the vehicle itself when it is open. Insofar as the above-mentioned vehicles are equipped with blue lights directed forward or to the side, such use violates article 375 of the Law on Vehicles and Traffic and the regulations published therein. Orange warning lights are the most revealing warning light color in the United States. This means that most states allow a variety of vehicles to operate yellow warning lights.

However, state laws still dictate when this type of lighting can be used. For example, in Ohio, a construction vehicle or commercial vehicle may use orange lights when parked on the side of the road, but may not activate warning lights when the vehicle is in motion. Disclaimer: The Light State Statute Guide for Emergency Vehicles has been prepared by Extreme Tactical Dynamics as a guide and reference. We make no representations about the accuracy or validity of this guide. This guide has been written to the best of our knowledge and beliefs and has been provided to our clients ONLY as a courtesy! The information in this guide is our interpretation of the law as we have read it. We cannot be held responsible for errors as this is only our interpretation of the law and the laws are constantly changing. We cannot be held responsible for any errors and encourage our customers to contact their local authorities to confirm the respective statue that regulates their use of emergency lights. Ambulances and emergency vehicles from the New York State County Emergency Medical Service may only use red and white warning lights when responding to emergency calls in accordance with state law 375.41.2. In many states, the different colors of lights used by emergency medical services, police, and other first responders can vary from state to state. If a red light can be for an ambulance in one state, it can be the main color of light of the police in another state. Most people don`t know that each state regulates the corresponding colors of emergency lights, which are allowed on all vehicles. These laws include emergency police, firefighters and rescuers, ambulances and other first responders, as well as taxis, buses, and commercial and non-commercial road traffic.

As a backup vehicle lighting dealer, we are often faced with questions about the legality of our sales. Customers ask if the lights and sirens we announce can be used in private vehicles, and this is where selling emergency vehicle lights gets complicated. Our products are available to the general public. However, not everyone on public roads can use an emergency light in their car. This means that you can purchase a light fixture of any color from us, but whether or not you can use it on public roads in the United States is required by state law. Every state in the United States has written guidelines on who can and cannot use emergency lighting in vehicles. Some laws are more lax than others, but some even have restrictions on where lights can be mounted on a vehicle. Since state laws vary greatly from state to state, we can`t tell a customer if the equipment they want to buy can be used on roads in their area. Instead, it is the responsibility of the buyer, driver and installer to ensure that the lights they wish to purchase for their vehicle can be legally used in the state where they wish to use it.

To ensure that customers understand the status of emergency vehicle lighting, we recommend that anyone considering purchasing lights from our online store familiarize themselves with the laws of their state before purchasing. C. Who can use blue light outside of volunteer firefighters? One or more blue lights – or a combination of blue and red lights, or a combination of blue, red and white lights – can be used in a police vehicle, fire truck, ambulance, ambulance or district ambulance vehicle. As part of a legislative package linked to the New York state budget in April 2020, tow trucks were given the power to use blue light. For more information about the lights that are available to you, we recommend calling your State Highway Patrol office: 518-457-5330 Although both taillights and brake lights should be red, only officially approved vehicles can display red lights visible from the front. In Florida, vehicles from firefighters, police, ambulances, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the Department of Correctional Services are allowed to use emergency lights in an emergency. The style of blue light is also regulated. The lamp shall be visible from the front of the vehicle. The light itself must have a blue lens, “not an undyed lens with a blue bulb.” For roof-mounted dome units, the unit itself should consist of a blue dome, not an undyed lid with a blue bulb.

Although blue light cannot be part of the headlight system, it can be mounted in front of or behind the vehicle`s grille. Light itself can be light in rotation, rotation, oscillation or constant motion. When mounted in the vehicle, the driver must use a proper cover, which surprisingly “can be made of paint” to avoid thoughtful glare or distraction from the operator.