Question about CHP HOV units

[556fmj]

They are located in Ripon, CA according to their website.

 

[Sac916]

damn nice cars! and where was shop at?

Lincoln PD ( placer county ) has one or two of those, fully marked and equipped.

 

[PolarBear25]

damn nice cars! and where was shop at?

Edit: Deleted

 

[kma371]

That is one I had never heard before, and I've been around a while. Can you cite a source for that information?

Birken

Well, since everyone is jumping on me about this I'm just telling you what someone from my department told me. I asked him why we had a dash red light in addition to the light bar and that's what he told me.

 

[SAR923]

I don't know where the requirement about square inches of red light is but there's apparently something about the height of the steady burning red light. When our 4WD units were first equipped with the classic Federal Twinsonic light bars, we also had one of the big ole' Unity red lights mounted on the side of our pushbar. Seemed kind of redundant to me since we also had the steady burn red light in the lightbar but the guys at the county shops told me they were complying with CHP requirements for maximum height of the steady burn light. Never did learn more than that and it seems now that the CHP no longer cares about height since we've used strobe and LED light bars with a steady burn light mounted on Suburbans, which are lot taller than our old Broncos.

 

[BirkenVogt]

We've got them mounted on the roofs of most fire engines and you can't get much higher than that unless you put it on a pole

Birken

 

[scannerboy02]

I have noticed that most CHP SUV's have a secondary steady red mounted to the push bumper in addition to one on the light bar. Also most fire trucks have at least one steady red at headlight level or below. I took over 600 photos of law enforcement vehicles at the memorial for Deputy Mitchell in Sacramento and found several different light configurations. I will see if I can get time to go through them and I will post a few of the interesting ones.

 

[wolter]

I don't know where the requirement about square inches of red light is but there's apparently something about the height of the steady burning red light.

It likely has to do with visibility. If a tall vehicle pulled up on the bumper of a shorter vehicle, the shorter vehicle driver would never see the red light on the lightbar. If a additional light is placed in the front grill area of the emergency vehicle, the light will be visible in the rear view mirror of the vehicle ahead.

 

[Sac916]

It likely has to do with visibility.

It's probably just to cover all aspects of visibility, height being one of them.

In California, you do NOT have to have a rear window or passenger side windows, meaning you must have side mirrors. Regardless of the height of your vehicle, you should be able to see the forward facing red light (and wig-wags & lightbar) from the emergency vehicle behind you. Assuming your are an attentive driver and the emergency vehicle isn't right on your bumper.

I've driven some pretty dang low sports cars and never had problem with height visibility from my side mirrors. A typical action of an emergency vehicle directly behind a vehicle, is to move slightly to the left, to get the side & rear view mirror angle.

Historically, CHP has spent vast amounts of money on safety equipment for their vehicles. Compared to larger agencies, CHP tends to have very well kept up vehicles with all necessary and mandatory equipment. They also quickly moved to the "diamond" shaped lightbar to provide better visibility from all angles. Being that CHP tends to work in a high-speed and congested environment, they tend to have very visible profiles. Obviously with the exception of super secret or sneaky enforcement such as the Camaro or Mustang.

I believe the "lower" forward facing red is simply to add additional visibility based on agency preference.

 

[scannerboy02]

AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLE INSPECTION CHECKLIST


http://www.chp.ca.gov/pdf/chp310b.pdf

 

[mkewman]

recently just saw a next gen chp cvpi in san jose doing a traffic stop. this one had a LED lightbar.

it was pretty cool.

 

[556fmj]

The LED emergency lighting is making the halogen and strobe lighting pretty much obsolete now. Especially the 3rd and 4th generation hi-intensity LED. The LEDs last longer and doesn't need to be replaced as often as a halogen bar/strobe, less heat generated (not good for any type of electronic product), less moving parts and colors are very deep and true. Also LED lights draw less amps on the vehicles electrical system than a halogen bar. At one time we had a lot of our cars needing new high output alternators because of the electrial demand from all the electronics in the cars. The user adjustable flash rates are in my opinion better than strobes.

I've seen the CHP with the Federal Signal Cuda series LED interior dash light and some units with the Code 3 2100 bar. At the Copswest 06, Fed Sig just introduced a new line of LED lighting. So between Fed Signal, Code 3 PSE and Whelen their is a lot to choose from these days especially with new designed optics for wide light dispersion and such (which cures the early LEDs with poor off-axis response).

 

[wolter]

Not to mention the reduced air noise.

 

[emptech]

I believe there was a change in the law in the last year. As I understand, an emergency vehicle in Kalifornia no longer has to have one solid red in the front. I can't cite the code, but if someone could look it up in the VC and verify it.

Jim

One thing to remember... ALL emergency vehicles must have a forward flashing steady (not flashing) burning red light visible at all times while rolling lights/sirens. So, if the lights are ALL flashing, then it is not a real law/fire/ems vehicle. At least one of the lights must be steady red at all times on real emergency vehicles.

 

[OpSec]

I believe there was a change in the law in the last year. As I understand, an emergency vehicle in Kalifornia no longer has to have one solid red in the front. I can't cite the code, but if someone could look it up in the VC and verify it.

Jim

**

Warning Lamps on Authorized Emergency Vehicles

25252 [VC]. Every authorized emergency vehicle shall be equipped with at least one steady burning red warning lamp visible from at least 1000 feet to the front of the vehicle to be used as provided in this code.

In addition, authorized emergency vehicles may display revolving, flashing, or steady red warning lights to the front, sides or rear of the vehicles.

**

It's still in effect.

 

[code3cowboy]

cvc 25252 - 25258 establish what you need.
the steady red light needs to be visible for 1000'

The commercial units had an sml 1 on the push bumper, now they have a red and blue cuda. They are the big rig enforcement units, if you are pulling a truck over, the driver cant see your lightbar. He will see a flashing headlight and the steady red/flashing blue and know youre pulling him over.

Most emergency vehicles, this includes unmarked cars and detective cars and other cars that have drivers who want to go code, have some sort of a steady red light.

Some of our unmarked cold plated federal vehicles do not have steady red lights. Some of our marked units do not have steady red lights. The sector comm shop supervisor told me "if they dont get out of your way or stop, one of us will make them stop". Federal vehicles normally run red and blue.

 

[KMA367]

I believe there was a change in the law in the last year. As I understand, an emergency vehicle in Kalifornia no longer has to have one solid red in the front. I can't cite the code, but if someone could look it up in the VC and verify it.

25252 CVC hasn't been changed since 1993 at least. The only recent change to emergency vehicle lighting that I can find was on October 12, 1997 when CVC 25259 was amended to read that

"(c) Any authorized emergency vehicle may display not more than two flashing white warning lights to the front mounted above the roofline of the vehicle and not more than two flashing white warning lights to the front mounted below the roofline of the vehicle. These lamps may be in addition to the flashing headlamps permitted under Section 25252.5"

http://leginfo.public.ca.gov/pub/97-98/bill/asm/ab_1551-1600/ab_1561_bill_19970913_enrolled.html

 

[wolter]

Some of our unmarked cold plated federal vehicles do not have steady red lights. Some of our marked units do not have steady red lights.

Who is "our?"

 

[OpSec]

Who is "our?"

He could tell you, but then he'd have to kill you

 

[svtyone]

It's probably just to cover all aspects of visibility, height being one of them.

In California, you do NOT have to have a rear window or passenger side windows, meaning you must have side mirrors. Regardless of the height of your vehicle, you should be able to see the forward facing red light (and wig-wags & lightbar) from the emergency vehicle behind you. Assuming your are an attentive driver and the emergency vehicle isn't right on your bumper.

I've driven some pretty dang low sports cars and never had problem with height visibility from my side mirrors. A typical action of an emergency vehicle directly behind a vehicle, is to move slightly to the left, to get the side & rear view mirror angle.

Historically, CHP has spent vast amounts of money on safety equipment for their vehicles. Compared to larger agencies, CHP tends to have very well kept up vehicles with all necessary and mandatory equipment. They also quickly moved to the "diamond" shaped lightbar to provide better visibility from all angles. Being that CHP tends to work in a high-speed and congested environment, they tend to have very visible profiles. Obviously with the exception of super secret or sneaky enforcement such as the Camaro or Mustang.

I believe the "lower" forward facing red is simply to add additional visibility based on agency preference.

dont know if anyone has noticed but most of the emergency vehicles now since maybe nov 2010 no longer have the wig wags in front (*headlight flashes during code) i was wondering if anyone else has noticed this or am i just used to seeing it im not noticing?