@ronaconda
So, you want to split hairs over the use of the term whacker, yet you'd rather use a term like "mentally ill" when so many people suffer from legitimate mental illness? That's not a problem. You can choose to use whatever term you would like to use. You don't have to agree with me at all. I'm simply saying those who collect emergency lighting all have a shade of peculiarity since it is such a peculiar item to be interested in collecting. Call it whatever you'd like.
And regardless of what state anybody lives in, and regardless of whatever the
law states it really boils down to one thing — just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you SHOULD do it. In my home state, amber lighting is pretty much allowed for use for almost anybody. Blue lighting is also very loosely regulated. That doesn't mean because as far as the letter of the
law is concerned something is legal to do, I should go out and do it. Again, emergency lighting, blinking lights, flashing lights, or whatever else you want to call them should NOT be installed on a vehicle unless it is for a legitimate purpose. I can put as many amber flashing lights on my truck as I'd like — buy why would I? I'm a schoolteacher. I have no business installing flashing lights on my truck, even though the
law says it's ok to do so.
I'm in the process of installing red lighting to the rear of my vehicle solely for this purpose and am contemplating adding a traffic advisor. I am also contemplating adding red lighting to my other vehicles, again, with the sole intent of making my vehicles more visible during personal emergencies. Does this make me a whacker? In my opinion, absolutely not.
This absolutely makes you a whacker. Again, why would you need to install red lights and a
TA in your vehicles so they can be more visible during a "personal emergency?" What does that even mean? I have a personal emergency when I am driving and the digestive system issues I have tell me I have to hit the head ASAP. That doesn't mean I fire up the emergency lights I've installed so my vehicle can be more visible. How many times do you anticipate being broken down on the side of the road that you'd need red lights and a
TA to be more visible?
Anyone putting emergency/warning lights on a POV without authorization from a private employer, public response agency, or other entity shouldn't do so either.
Doing so only sets one up for liability if used incorrectly even once. If you use a traffic advisor and an accident is the result, then you are liable. Good luck getting your insurance company to pay that bill (just ask any vollie ff that's been in an accident POV). Let alone the citation(s) law enforcement will likely hand you.
Exactly what Sparky_911 said.
Again, regardless of what term you want to use, installing flashing or blinking lights in your vehicle without a legitimate reason — unless your job absolutely requires you to have emergency lighting in your vehicle — should not happen. Just like one of the most recent videos posted in the whacker thread showed, some kid who is a member of some Community Emergency Response Team decided he'd invent something called a Community Emergency Response Vehicle and install some amber lights and an eBay siren. You don't get to make up an imaginary job or an imaginary vehicle that justifies your reasons to install emergency, blinking, or flashing lights.
Same thing with the "Oh, I'm using the vehicle on private property so I can have a siren or emergency lights on my 'security' car" argument. Call it whatever you'd like, but you just like having flashing lights on your vehicle.
In my opinion, emergency, blinking, or flashing lights are not regulated enough. Again, I see no problem with collecting vintage or other lightbars. I see no problem with installing emergency lighting on a vehicle that legitimately needs them. I enjoy vintage lightbars more than the average person does. That said, all these cars driving around with lights that don't need to have them are ridiculous and cause legitimate problems for those of us who actually collect these lights.