Rear warning and courtesy lights

[FSEP]

For those of use forced to use courtesy lights.. :suicide:


Do you think rear warning is needed?


A lot of guys in my area think your 4-ways a good enough. However, I think they cause more harm then good. Your unable to signal lane changes when passing, getting out of parking lots is a pain in the ass and god forbid I run into another MVC (I swear I run into a bad one at least once a month :hopeless: ) I want to be able to protect my ass with something better then my 4-ways.


Anyways, let the flaming begin!

 

[DJIceman97]

For those of use forced to use courtesy lights.. :suicide:

Do you think rear warning is needed?


A lot of guys in my area think your 4-ways a good enough. However, I think they cause more harm then good. Your unable to signal lane changes when passing, getting out of parking lots is a pain in the ass and god forbid I run into another MVC (I swear I run into a bad one at least once a month :hopeless: ) I want to be able to protect my ass with something better then my 4-ways.


Anyways, let the flaming begin!

IMHO I think courtesy lights are 95% pointless. Better than nothing, but still pointless. I don't see the problem with an amber traffic bar in the rear, I think most states permit it as a "hazard warning" clause. I know KY has a special statute that permits civilians to display any lights between clear & amber to the front, and clear & red to the rear, for the purpose of advanced warning of a hazard (I.E. DMV, pulled up on an accident, etc.) As for if you want to dish out the cash for it, that is your call.


Remind you, this is coming from a lights/siren state resident. Of course if I come up on a FF with a courtesy light in the dash, I'm going to give him ROW, and most people probably move because they don't know the difference, but I think courtesy lights are an unneeded thing, and it should be all or none. Just my honest opinion. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

 

[FSEP]

Oh trust me, I think the idea of courtesy lights are stupid but its what I have deal with.


Just have to work with what I'm given and come up with the safest and most effect option possible.


Edit: Pretty much anyone can run yellow/white (front) and yellow/red (rear) if your going to cause a "possible traffic hazard".

 

[DJIceman97]

Oh trust me, I think the idea of courtesy lights are stupid but its what I have deal with.

Just have to work with what I'm given and come up with the safest and most effect option possible.


Edit: Pretty much anyone can run yellow/white (front) and yellow/red (rear) if your going to cause a "possible traffic hazard".

I wouldn't hope you'd want to cause one :bonk: lol. I think they create that law to allow for 4-way flashers to be permitted. Sometimes I wonder who sits down and writes out these laws...


IMHO if I had to live in a courtesy light state, I would definitely have some sort of rear warning just in case...you never know when it will come in handy when you pull up on an incident or something.

 

[picone239]

I agree with all the above. You hit the nail on the head about the hazard lights as well. I'm not a fan of them being used as "warning"

 

[Flashguy]

4-way flashers should NEVER be on when driving! I completely agree with an amber rear bar or even a couple dual amber lights on the back deck.

 

[FSEP]

I had a feeling I was heading in the right direction. (no pun intended :dielaugh: ) Can you tell it's xmas and I've had no sleep.


Anywho, a full bar in the back would be... problematic with my suv to say the least. So dual lighting in the back would likely be best. There's a guy selling 2 dual red talons for like $120, so should I jump on it? Granted, its not amber, but I'm in a move over state so that might actually help.

 

[FSEP]

4-way flashers should NEVER be on when driving! I completely agree with an amber rear bar or even a couple dual amber lights on the back deck.

Nearly every Vol Firefighter in the state uses them. If that wasn't bad enough, every station in the state is Vol except one. So pretty much, we (firefighters and state) cripple our selves with lights in more was then one.


I'm trying to change my departments perception on this since elections are over with. To say the least, it'll be interesting.

 

[Storm4200]

i think REAR warning is more important than front warning. I think a pair of Dual Talons would work very well. ideally, Id like to see each Talon R/A - A/R. maybe even a pair of R/R HAWs...

 

[RescueWV]

Another vote here for rear warning being important for courtesy light users...


I think another important reason that HASN'T been highlighted though is the simple concept of identification. At a very minimum, someone looking at your vehicle from the front or rear should be be able to identify it as belonging to an emergency responder.

 

[MESDA6]

I use a B/B dual talon in the rear window and find it pretty effective for rear warning.


I run the rear warning when responding simply because there may be situations when someone didn't see your front lights and be wondering why you made a questionable maneuver (in their mind.) The example that comes to mind primarily is going through or around traffic in a construction zone. We had a one lane situation here with flagmen all summer. The flaggers told us to go around the stopped traffic to the waiting line with our lights on and would then stop all traffic to let us through ASAP. The rear lights on our vehicles were probably what most people saw after the flaggers let us through, not the front lights as we approached alongside them.


Obviously, the other option is to use a throw light. I think a good throw light can save your life, but sometimes it isn't practical to get it on the roof if you are already driving when the call comes out.

 

[KFRDtondout]

My vol dept is courtesy light only per dept policy, while my combination dept is full light siren. On my vol dept most of them still run full 360, as for some med call we go straight to scene so its nice to have that extra warning. Courtesy light is pointless but it is what it is. we are a red light state by the way

 

[dcfrmp255]

My state is a red lights and siren state, but our county deems red lights as "an insurance liability.." a few vollies have clear hide-a-ways and a clear dash light. I have some clear vertexes, PAR36's and a dash light(which moves traffic VERY well), in the front along with two amber Feniex T-4's on the toolbox and Vertex's in the turn signals and reverse lights.

 

[eng18ine]

well in new york, where i think is a state where a christmas tree is needed just to get someones attention, the law states, one blue light forward facing. just one. im a voly in new york and it is pointless. iv got a dual avenger in blue/blue and barely anyone notices it. ofcorse some departments in my county are more willing to allow more lights, but mine ofcorse isnt. but for the rear warning. it is actually pretty useless. i think alot of places that have courtacy lights are states where people respond straight to the firehouse. so rear warning isnt really necessary. your flowing with traffic not stoped on the side of the road directing it.

 

[DJIceman97]

well in new york, where i think is a state where a christmas tree is needed just to get someones attention, the law states, one blue light forward facing. just one. im a voly in new york and it is pointless. iv got a dual avenger in blue/blue and barely anyone notices it. ofcorse some departments in my county are more willing to allow more lights, but mine ofcorse isnt. but for the rear warning. it is actually pretty useless. i think alot of places that have courtacy lights are states where people respond straight to the firehouse. so rear warning isnt really necessary. your flowing with traffic not stoped on the side of the road directing it.

Our department usually responds straight to the firehouse unless it's an incident impeding traffic along your route, or you're an EMT and it's quicker and more efficient to go to scene vs. to the station. I'm the farthest from the station most of the time, and I have several red lights to go through, so having complete 360 helps. I can get by with a single dash light (which is what my chief does, actually..) but I'd rather be seen than unseen.

 

[Tlafntn]

I run a blue light bar in the front as my " please move light" haha if you don't have the courtesy to move over when I can be responding to your house or child trapped in a MVA your going to be blinded by them the whole way. As for rear facing I disagree with the post 2 above me I think rear facing is just as important in my opinion. If I am stopped in the middle or side of the road I WANT people to know. I run a ep911TD/WL 36 red light stick and then a blue/amber and blue/blue under the directional/ warning light stick