I totally understood the assertion that rear amber was not mandatory despite someone continuing to insist that traditional translated to mandatory.
People starting using pronouns, and the mandatory steady red requirement and the allowed amber got confused. To clear the thread up:
Steady burning front facing red is a long standing minimum requirement in CA. Rear facing flashing amber is specifically allowed by
law, and specified by many agencies including CHP. The combo has been picked up by so many departments and manufacturers that it is a standard practice in CA. In truth, the
law does not mandate the rear amber the way it does the front red, it simply has a provision allowing for it. They are seen together so frequently people think both are required.
-thread merge and resurrection due to
CA vehicle code
Warning Lamps on Authorized Emergency Vehicles
25252. 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.
Authorized Emergency Vehicles: Additional Lights
25258. (a) An authorized emergency vehicle operating under the conditions specified in Section 21055 may display a flashing white light from a gaseous discharge lamp designed and used for the purpose of controlling official traffic control signals.
(b)An authorized emergency vehicle used by a peace officer, as defined in Section 830.1 of, subdivision (a), (b ), (c ), (d), (e), (f), (g), or (i) of Section 830.2 of, subdivision (n) of Section 830.3 of, subdivision (b)of Section 830.31 of, subdivision (a) or (b )of Section 830.32 of, Section 830.33 of, subdivision (a) of Section 830.36 of, subdivision (a) of Section 830.4 of, or Section 830.6 of, the Penal Code, in the performance of the peace officer's duties, may, in addition, display a steady or flashing blue warning light visible from the front, sides, or rear of the vehicle.
(c ) Except as provided in subdivision (a), a vehicle shall not be equipped with a device that emits any illumination or radiation that is designed or used for the purpose of controlling official traffic control signals.
Additional Warning Lights on Authorized Emergency Vehicles
25259. (a) Any authorized emergency vehicle may display flashing amber warning lights to the front, sides, or rear.
(b)A vehicle operated by a police or traffic officer while in the actual performance of his or her duties may display steady burning or flashing white lights to either side mounted above the roofline of the vehicle.
(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.
Warning Lights on Vehicles Operated by Personnel of Marshal's Department
25254. In any county with a population of 250,000 or more persons, publicly owned vehicles operated by peace officer personnel of a marshal's department, when actually being used in the enforcement of the orders of any court, including, but not limited to, the transportation of prisoners, may display flashing amber warning lights to the rear when such vehicles are necessarily parked upon a roadway and such parking constitutes a hazard to other motorists.
TITLE 13
§ 818. Type of Warning Lamps Used on Emergency Vehicles and Special Hazard Vehicles.
13 CA ADC § 818
Title 13. Motor Vehicles
Division 2. Department of the California Highway Patrol
Chapter 2. Lighting Equipment
Article 22. Warning Lamps (Refs & Annos)
Warning lamps on emergency vehicles and special hazard vehicles shall be of the following types:
(a) Required Red Warning Lamps on Authorized Emergency Vehicles. The steady burning red warning lamp required to be visible to the front of an authorized emergency vehicle by Vehicle Code Section 25252 shall be a Class A, B or C warning lamp. Motorcycles may instead be equipped with two Class D warning lamps in the front, one of which may flash.
(b)Permitted Additional Red Warning Lamps on Authorized Emergency Vehicles. The additional steady burning or flashing red warning lamp permitted by Vehicle Code Section 25252 shall be a Class A, B, C, or E warning lamp.
(c ) Permitted Yellow Warning Lamps on Authorized Emergency Vehicles. The additional flashing yellow warning lamp permitted on authorized emergency vehicles by Vehicle Code Section 25259 shall be a Class B, C, or E warning lamp. Two yellow motorcycle turn signal lamps may be used as warning lamps on the rear of motorcycles.
(d) Permitted Blue Warning Lamps on Police Vehicles. The additional flashing or steady burning blue warning lamp permitted by Vehicle Code Section 25258(b ) shall be Class B, C, or E.
(e) Required Yellow Warning Lamps on Tow Cars. The flashing yellow warning lamp required on tow cars by Vehicle Code Section 25253 shall be a Class B, C, or E warning lamp. The flashing yellow warning lamp permitted to be displayed to the rear of a tow car while towing a vehicle and moving at a speed slower than the normal flow of traffic may be a 360-degree revolving or gaseous discharge lamp. In such case, the front and side areas of the lens or transparent cover that extends back to 45 degrees to each side of the straight-to-the-rear axis of the lamp shall be covered with opaque material reaching to the top of the lighted area. A revolving lamp may instead be equipped with a device that turns each light source off during the forward three-fourths of its rotation.
(f ) Permitted Yellow Warning Lamps on Special Hazard Vehicles. The flashing yellow warning lamps permitted on special hazard vehicles by Article 7 of Division 12 of the Vehicle Code beginning with Section 25252, shall be a Class B, C, or E warning lamp, depending on whether the lamp is permitted to be displayed only to the front and rear or to the front, sides, and rear.
(g) Warning Lamps for Undercover Cars. The required steady-burning forward-facing warning lamps on authorized emergency vehicles with special plates permitted by Vehicle Code Section 5001 shall be a class A, B, or C. This warning lamp may also be a fixed or handheld red spotlamp with a filament of at least 30 watts, and producing at least 3,000 candela in red at the brightest point in the beam. Such a lamp need not meet any of the other requirements of this article except for color. Additional steady-burning or flashing warning lamps shall be class A, B, C, or E. These warning lamps may be displayed through transparent or translucent material provided the light, of proper color, is plainly visible and understandable in bright sunlight and during darkness, under normal atmospheric conditions, to a distance of 800 feet from the vehicle. These lights shall not transfigure, disrupt or mask any other required lighting device.
Note: Authority cited: Section 26103, Vehicle Code. Reference: Sections 24012 and 26103, Vehicle Code.