blue flashing lights

[davidlandy]

Are blue flashing lights on a motor illegal, unless its a police, fire or ambulance?

[bezzabsa]

yes

[gtomo2]

Yes But you can have a blue light on your motor as long as it dont flash.
but saying that you can use a flashing blue light on private land.

[davidlandy]

so can you have blue flashing lights on the road just as long as you don't use them?

[barnhill4x4]

As far as I understand you cannot have a blue light on or off mounted on the roof of your car but you can have discreet ones mounted as long as they are not used

[redneck]

Restrictions on fitting blue warning beacons, special warning lamps and similar devices
    16.    No vehicle, other than an emergency vehicle, shall be fitted with-

      (a)  a blue warning beacon or special warning lamp, or


      (b)  a device which resembles a blue warning beacon or a special warning lamp, whether the same is in working order or not.

Full lighting regs here
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/SI/si1989/Uksi_19891796_en_3.htm#(Tii)i6restrictionfittingbluewarningbeaconspecialwarninglampsimilardevice

[Budgie]

As far as I understand you cannot have a blue light on or off mounted on the roof of your car but you can have discreet ones mounted as long as they are not used

But if you're stopped and they find them then you get a fine.  

Blue lights of any type, flashing or not, are illegal for road use in the UK unless you have the correct exemptions under the Road Traffic Act.
This is covered in The Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 where it states:

(2)  No vehicle shall be fitted with a lamp which is capable of showing any light to the rear, other than a red light, except-
(k)  blue light from a warning beacon or rear special warning lamp fitted to an emergency vehicle, or from any device fitted to a vehicle used for police purposes;

and as Redneck has already said:

Restrictions on fitting blue warning beacons, special warning lamps and similar devices
    16.    No vehicle, other than an emergency vehicle, shall be fitted with-


(a)  a blue warning beacon or special warning lamp, or


(b)  a device which resembles a blue warning beacon or a special warning lamp, whether the same is in working order or not.

 
You see plenty of blue LED lights being sold but if you look at the packaging it will say "not for road use" on them.

[discograham]

I brought an ex ambulance a few years ago... had to remove the blues completely before leaving the auction..

A few weeks later some guys brought one, and slipped out with it without removing the blues...
And were nicked a few days later, I think in Luton, just for having them on the ambulance although they were not using them.

And a friend of mine has a '73  mk 1 transit fire engine support unit.. only driven to shows, but cant have blues on it...

[Boggert]

Yoy can have tham as long as they are not working and hidden... but whats the point then???

All working blue lights on vehicles are not allowed, static or flashing...

Blue lights are for emergency services only, if you need a security/safety light us an orange one.

There is a myth that if you have a blue light shining you wont get flashed by a speed camera....... Not true, The police get flashed on blue light runs all the time.

[Guardian.]

theres a muppet drives around here in a ford scorpio done up as a black and white yankee plod mobile he has blue barrel lights on the roof (and sheriff stickers across the bonnet), he has had several different heaps i mean copy police cars for as long as i can remember, (since i was a kid), he cannot get any agg!

[Hightower]

When I used to work at the Vauxhall plant in Luton, we regularly got the old police Carltons and Senators in for servicing.  Before we could go and road test them the lights on the roof had have black bags taped over them and the police authority badges on the doors covered up.
Only then could you have a blast up and down the M1, watching everybody getting out of the way (we didn't have to cover the orange flashes up)  :twisted:
So, it's not just the vehicle they're fitted to, but who is driving said vehicle as well it would seem.

[Lord Shagg-Pyle]

theres a muppet drives around here in a ford scorpio done up as a black and white yankee plod mobile he has blue barrel lights on the roof (and sheriff stickers across the bonnet), he has had several different heaps i mean copy police cars for as long as i can remember, (since i was a kid), he cannot get any agg!

I have two words to describe him then. Sad Git.

[ben_haynes]

When I used to work at the Vauxhall plant in Luton, we regularly got the old police Carltons and Senators in for servicing.  Before we could go and road test them the lights on the roof had have black bags taped over them and the police authority badges on the doors covered up.
Only then could you have a blast up and down the M1, watching everybody getting out of the way (we didn't have to cover the orange flashes up)  :twisted:
So, it's not just the vehicle they're fitted to, but who is driving said vehicle as well it would seem.

why is that then? as i worked for FIAT and we serviced and repaired all of the 2 shires ambulance service, ambulances and quick response cars (Fiat, Vauxhall, Ford and Renault) we never had to but bags over the lights just as long as we never used them on the road only got stoped by one police officer who thought it had been stolen but i explained that i was road testing it, he checked with my boss and let me go with no problems (i was in my overalls) never asked why i did not have them covered up.

[Llanigraham]

Hightower

I used to work for Vauxhall Demo Fleet, out of Worcester, and we often delivered Police cars. This was something that worried us, so we took it up with the Chief Constables Assoc (forgot what they are called) and we were told that the beacons did NOT need to be covered, but the vehicles had to have a notice stating "NOT IN SERVICE" displayed at one window, so we all used to sick it in the rear passenger side window!! I was only ever stopped once in 6 years, and that wqs because I was in a brand new model and the Traffic driver wanted to know all about it.

It was also interesting to know that we could be requested to stop and use the lights by a Policeman to provide "vehicle safety at an incident"

All the new drivers used to think it was great fun driving them, but after a while you realised it actually was hard work because of the reactions of the pillocks on the road who saw the stripes and then would panic! And I am "blue light trained by the Ambulance Service!

It was more fun picking up a car from the Royal Mews, because it seemed like every copper in London knew the reg no and made sure no-one got in your way.

[Evilgoat]

Applieds to Red and green too.

I build units for RRVs and some private ambulance firms. Have to be carefull who they go to, hence my surprise at a guy at billing openly selling them with blue lenses too

[Lostboy]

Hmmm, useful website that is. My question is where is it defined what an emergency service vehicle is...

The Salvation Army are driving around Edinburgh in a red van fitted with blue lights - and I wonder what sort of training the driver has - and if the Salvation Army can be considered an emergency service considering you can't dial 999 and ask for them?

[Wanderer]

I think you will find that the Salvation Army are recognised in a similar way that the Red Cross and St John Ambulance are by the Emergency Planning Officer in the emergency plans. The vehicle more than likely would be used in an emergency to provide some sort of a service.


Ed

[thermidorthelobster]

Somebody in Bucks had rapped knuckles a few years back for running a self-styled "horse ambulance" with blue flashing lights.  Sounds like they got a bit carried away.

[Budgie]

Hmmm, useful website that is. My question is where is it defined what an emergency service vehicle is...

The Salvation Army are driving around Edinburgh in a red van fitted with blue lights - and I wonder what sort of training the driver has - and if the Salvation Army can be considered an emergency service considering you can't dial 999 and ask for them?

Not all blue light users are required to have special training.
The Coastguard are able to use blue lights & 2-tones on a "shout" but as they don't receive any special training they don't have any exemptions under the RTA and therefore HAVE TO drive within the law. No speeding, no jumping red lights etc etc.
I think the same goes for Mountain Rescue, Cave Rescue, Fell Rescue and Lifeboat service vehicles etc.

The Salvation Army in your area may have an agreement with the local health authority to supply that vehicle as patent transport. Provided that is all the vehicle does then it can carry blue lights but won't have the exemptions under the RTA that other ambulances will have.

[Budgie]

Yoy can have tham as long as they are not working and hidden... but whats the point then???

Sorry, you can't.

Restrictions on fitting blue warning beacons, special warning lamps and similar devices
16. No vehicle, other than an emergency vehicle, shall be fitted with-


(a) a blue warning beacon or special warning lamp, or


(b) a device which resembles a blue warning beacon or a special warning lamp, whether the same is in working order or not.

[Boggert]

Yoy can have tham as long as they are not working and hidden... but whats the point then???

Sorry, you can't.

Restrictions on fitting blue warning beacons, special warning lamps and similar devices
16. No vehicle, other than an emergency vehicle, shall be fitted with-


(a) a blue warning beacon or special warning lamp, or


(b) a device which resembles a blue warning beacon or a special warning lamp, whether the same is in working order or not.

Ok what I was trying to say is its down to officer discretion.

The law says a lot of things, you can in reality fit anything to a car, but if its not seen and not useable a court would never stand it as a conviction, as its not against the law to own one, Plus if it cannot be seen or used how are we supposed to know its there?? Plus under PACE, we would need reasonable grounds to search for it, and if we don't know its there we don't have reasonable grounds.... intel would have to be good..I'm sure CPS would be looking for "Intentions" to get a conviction
Oh hell my mind is spinning... while we are at it what came first the chicken or the egg??? :lol:

If you look at e-bay there are loads for sale.

[Bush Tucker Man]

I saw a Ford Ka this morning (slightly chavved up), that had th side repeaters replaced with blue lights.

Now surely they're definately not road-legal?

[Lord Shagg-Pyle]

I saw a Ford Ka this morning (slightly chavved up), that had th side repeaters replaced with blue lights.

Now surely they're definately not road-legal?

Big No-No. I'd have him in for that!

[winchman]

Spoke to a fire engine owner at a recent show he has them on but is supposed to cover them up when on the road.
Interesting its the first two berth fire engine I have seen with a shower and bog :lol:

Who has red lights?

[Bush Tucker Man]

I saw a Ford Ka this morning (slightly chavved up), that had th side repeaters replaced with blue lights.

Now surely they're definately not road-legal?

Big No-No. I'd have him in for that!

I'll drop 'it into conversation' with the next Traffic Officer I speak to at work, who knows he may spread the word locally :lol:

[Evilgoat]

I think you will find that the Salvation Army are recognised in a similar way that the Red Cross and St John Ambulance are by the Emergency Planning Officer in the emergency plans. The vehicle more than likely would be used in an emergency to provide some sort of a service.


Ed

St Johns operate their ambulances as frontline veichles. In many parts of the UK you may well get a St John unit at certain times instead of a county one. In soulhamptom ALL pediatric calls are taken by SJA.

The Red cross also do some emergency work and I know theres a Winabago around run by some volunteer group with blues on used as a councilling unit at major incidents.

Our police friends on here will also confirmed that all lights on a veichle should be 'e' marked.In practice you can fail an MOT on this alone, although my body coded repeaters on the audi never have. The majority of the lexus lights on chav-mobiles and coloured repeaters arent.

[S188]

Mountain rescue can use blue lights and speed, but only if they have done the blue light corse, which many driver have not.

I know this as a friend of mine is in edale mountain rescue and is a blue light driver.  He says some days when you see their 110's driving all over the place there is a good chance they are on a shout, but the driver can't turn on the lights and sirens so has to sit behind Mrs Jones and her rambleing mates as they dordle their way to a Castleton tea room.  (thats right, another resion ramblers are * anoying)

* insert suitable word here.

[chris.hunt22]

I drive fire engines quite a lot when we paint them after they have bashed them!  We have never covered the lights up but have trade plates on, should we be covering the lights or is it just for police cars really???

[Boggert]

What is it with this fascination with blue lights? the boy racers just have to have them all over their cars. Why? its cheaper and less hassle with orange ones.
You cannot us them why bother with them? I just cannot figure them out?

[Sider]

What is it with this fascination with blue lights? the boy racers just have to have them all over their cars. Why? its cheaper and less hassle with orange ones.
You cannot us them why bother with them? I just cannot figure them out?

Cuz it is kool, man, innit??? And cuz I is bad.

Don't ever try to get into the mind of a chav, mate, too little room in there.