Since when did VSP start using red and blue lights instead of blue and white? Saw 3 state troopers on I-64 around Newport News with them
VSP with blue and red lights
- Thread starter LeSueurC
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Are you sure they were state police?
Very sure, marked VSP Ford Taurus interceptors
They are in Va bch too saw one yesterday, did a double take
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BM82557
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According to this - https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter10/section46.2-1022/
"law-enforcement vehicles may be equipped with flashing, blinking, or alternating blue, blue and red, blue and white, or red, white, and blue combination warning lights of types approved by the Superintendent."
"law-enforcement vehicles may be equipped with flashing, blinking, or alternating blue, blue and red, blue and white, or red, white, and blue combination warning lights of types approved by the Superintendent."
But why would they switch from blue and white to red and blue
They've been permitted by law to have red lights in addition to blue lights for a long time. It's just that they haven't been using red in recent years, now they apparently are again.
Perhaps it is the new superintendent's personal preference to include red.
From what I've heard, it has to do with a study that Virginia Tech is doing in regards to the visibility of blue vs. red lights at day time and night time. I'm not sure how accurate that information is, it's just what's been mentioned by a couple of Troopers when I mentioned it the other day.
That’s my understanding, also. They also have other markings on a few units they are testing for visibility.
Yes, the above replies are correct. The red and blue lights are being tested in conjunction with Virginia Tech. There are also a handful of cars with different graphics that are being evaluated as well.
Is this statewide or particularly in Division 5?
I'm a soreback, but Durham did the same thing when they dropped their public safety long time ago. They were the ones Chesapeake studied before they went to public safety many, many moons ago. Left the red (fire) on the cars along with the blue (law). Studies (Duke, maybe) showed that the blue was more visible at night and the red in the daytime. When Chesapeake was public safety Red was fire and police so there were only red lights on the cars and blue was civil defense.
I had both red and blue lights on my personal car.
Ronnie Reams
Formerly LT WBVFD, volunteer Portsmouth CD and Aux officer Chesapeake PD late 60s and early 70s.
Later did some time with DCVFD in Virginia Beach/Princess Anne County
I had both red and blue lights on my personal car.
Ronnie Reams
Formerly LT WBVFD, volunteer Portsmouth CD and Aux officer Chesapeake PD late 60s and early 70s.
Later did some time with DCVFD in Virginia Beach/Princess Anne County
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So it would seem to me that with the use of LEDs, visibility wouldn't be as much of an issue as it would have been in the past. Seems like studying which color was better in certain conditions would have been more important with the older style of lights which were not as bright.
While any color LED is certainly brighter than it's halogen or strobe counterparts, there are still marked differences in red and blue in the daytime and nighttime. It's one reason that I hope that one day the legislature will let fire apparatus run a single blue light to the rear like has been adopted in another of other states.
Dromanchyk
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In New York, blue is solely for vounteer fire fighters.... green is for volunteer ambulance/EMTs. Emergency vehicles have red or red and white only, although I have seen blue lights on NYPD units (just one light out of many).
New York changed their laws in 2007 IIRC allowing rear-facing blue lights on emergency vehicles for increased visibility.
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