Bar Lights - Strangely Not Lights You Would See In A Bar

By Author: Sunil Punjabi
Total Articles: 2565
Comment this article

The Bar lights we refer to with the term tend to be the lights we see on first response vehicles. The flashing lights on the vehicles warn and inform us, which helps keep us safe on roads and highways. Lightbars have been seen on first response and emergency vehicles for many years and their popularity continues to grow. The reason lightbars are popular is their versatility, the units don't just have flashing lights. The more sophisticated Bar lights have traffic advisors; take down lights and alley lights, along with beacons and strobes.

You may be surprised to learn that there is no standard set of Bar lights for any emergency vehicle. Even departments in the same state will have different lighting requirements for their vehicles. Where a vehicle is used and the duties expected will dictate what Bar lights are needed. A vehicle in a very rural area of a state will need totally different lights to that of a city street patrol vehicle. Likewise a highway patrol vehicle would need different lighting to an undercover surveillance vehicle.

Emergency vehicle lighting is probably not something ...
... that you will have given much thought to, I know I certainly haven't! You will however have seen flashing Bar lights and heard sirens and both of these things are crucial on any first response or emergency vehicle. If a vehicle needs to clear space to pass on a road they have to use lights and sirens to accomplish that. Responding to a priority call is fraught with danger for the first response personnel and the lights and siren can help keep them safe. We as other road users also need advance warning of an emergency vehicles approach or that there are stationary vehicles ahead of us.

There has been some recent research into the use of emergency vehicle lighting at night at roadside incidents. What the research showed is that too many lights could act as a distraction to road users rather than a warning. What researchers found was people were not only dazzled and blinded by the glare of excessive lights but they tended to drift toward the scene rather than steer away from it. The Bar lights can provide a massive amount of light power but there is a question of whether it's needed in some circumstances. Bar lights are crucial equipment and the modern units are so versatile you can have them all singing and dancing or more subdued and gentle, thereby providing just the right lighting for any situation.

There is no doubting the effectiveness of emergency vehicle lighting. Without the flashing Bar lights and sirens vehicles couldn't get to where they need to be at speed or safely. Vehicle lighting is important even on ordinary civilian vehicles but for first response vehicles it is vital equipment. The vehicle lighting is as important as life saving equipment or a police officer's duty belt. Bar lights can and do save lives by allowing personnel to respond with speed. We need to assist first responders by always obeying the guidance in the 'move over' laws of our states and respecting the job first responders do.

Extreme Tactical Dynamics is a one-stop shop for
Bar lights and many other items like Flashlights, Deck Lights, police lights, etc. Please visit the site for more details of various items available - http://www.extremetacticaldynamics.com/