California Spec discussion / Question

empire5150

Member
Aug 13, 2013
1,926
NH
As we all know cal spec is steady red to the front. That's the only requirement, ok fine. Does anybody know where/why the rear flashing amber came to be? Everything I have seen on light set ups and on vehicles in CA had / has some sort of rear flashing amber. If it was never a requirement why does is seem like its was, with all the cal spec lights made with it? Just seems odd that it was always there when it wasn't required. Discuss......
 

dcb

Member
May 21, 2010
211
Lexington, Fayette Co, KY
CA Title XIII requirements are far more complicated than just a steady burn module. IIRC, it specifies a different set of photometrics from the standard SAE spec and focuses more on linear (front/rear) warning and less about wide angle or intersection coverage. Some manufacturers offer specific heads in order to meet CA spec. Amber was never a requirement. I'm told that back in the day before lightbars, red and amber were the only two color bulbs readily available, therefore thats what was used.
 
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801

Member
Jul 14, 2014
679
NV
As dcb said Title XIII are more complicated but if we go to just the requirements of CVC (Cal Vehicle Code) the only requirement from CVC was for a steady red 25252 CVC. Blue is restricted to law enforcement only 25258 CVC. Amber is allowed to front rear and sides 25259 CVC but is not required. Red and amber were used originally because that's what the new vehicle manufacturer's were installing on vehicles and was available. At least in southern Calif, flashing white lights (other than Opticom's) were rare on emergency vehicles until the mid to late '80's.
 
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Mndlm

Member
Jun 14, 2010
128
Minnesota
Just my lousy 2 pennies. For all the years LAPD and other depts that just used the soup can lights with no complete light coverage that there was not a significant amount of intersection accidents that made them switch to at least one beacon.
Just why how large LA is that they could not of installed a hi-skirt beacon behind the siren like in Honolulu,Hi. did and keep the soup cans?
The needed steady red and a beacon can be seen in the first "Gone in 60 Seconds" on a couple of 70 Coronets.
Here in MN since the early 60's that I recall all PD's county and state at least had one beacon.
I was stationed at Camp Pendleton in the early 80's. We had Twinsonics on our Dodge pickups and vans and the city of Oceanside had just received the Aerodynics some with 2 steady reds with 2 rotators same on the blue side.
Some of our traffic units also had the CHP set up with just a red spotlight and a bar mounted in the box of the p/up with amber/red Dietz flashers. No blue was used to the rear while I was there before going to Okinawa.
 

Crownfire

Member
Jun 23, 2011
531
USA CA
No difinitive data to support this, but my theory is that the use of a flashing Amber light to the rear started with a policy decision at CHP. Since CHP cars are everywhere in CA, everyone had the chance to see the flashing Amber as they drove past traffic stops. It was a cheap, effective signal, so it was copied up and down the state. Not saying LAPD or others didn't come up with the idea independently, but the widespread use (and therefore customer demand) was a product of decision-makers liking and copying what they saw on CHP cars. Manufacturers will always respond to customer demand, so you saw products with flashing rear Amber lights. BTW, the design of CTS was a direct response to CHP specs. In other words, the CTS was designed and built for CHP; everyone else jumped on the bandwagon because they liked the product.
 
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801

Member
Jul 14, 2014
679
NV
Agree with Crownfire, as I was starting my LE career, CHP would field test an idea (IE high beam flash, both simo and alternate) then put it into production. I just happen to remember the HLF field test, because our field office was testing them when I was in high school. Then other agencies would follow CHP's lead. Also agencies were able to purchase off the CHP contract as reduced prices versus purchasing from another vendor.
 

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