DIY blue flashing lights - choosing lights

[JamieJ]

Jamie, which emergency service is you dad employed by as an emergency driver ?
I may be wrong but I believe that there are quite a lot of restrictions on who can use blue flashing lights and on what vehicle (i'm assuming we are talking UK by the way). It sounds like you may be thinking of fitting these to a private vehicle which I believe would be against the law unless it is registered and insured as an emergency vehicle. If it's not a private vehicle but provided by the employer then you should check with them as to fitting of additional accessories such as you are thinking.

the actual law doesn't specify anything about insurance. It has definitions of what an emergency vehicle is and he fits two of the definitions. The only difference is that he cannot speed since he is not a police, ambulance or fire vehicle.

I'd rather not go into detail on what work he does but I have read the UK laws regarding vehicle lighting regulations and he is not breaking it.

 

[kingeri]

This sounds dodgy as hell to me. Anyone allowed to use blue flashing lights and sirens has the right to break certain, but not all, rules of the road. Otherwise, what is the point of having them at all? Special training is obviously required. This is why doctors use can use green flashing lights but this allows no dispensation regarding traffic laws. And flashing emergency lights must have to meet certain standards, seems ludicrous to consider building your own.

 

[JamieJ]

This sounds dodgy as hell to me. Anyone allowed to use blue flashing lights and sirens has the right to break certain, but not all, rules of the road. Otherwise, what is the point of having them at all? Special training is obviously required. This is why doctors use can use green flashing lights but this allows no dispensation regarding traffic laws. And flashing emergency lights must have to meet certain standards, seems ludicrous to consider building your own.

The only standard is that they have to be blue believe it or not.

 

[kingeri]

So is he into fire salvage or mining or summat?

 

[JamieJ]

So is he into fire salvage or mining or summat?

Wouldnt like to specify but he fits within the law

 

[kingeri]

Wouldnt like to specify but he fits within the law

Ok.

 

[mache]

the actual law doesn't specify anything about insurance. It has definitions of what an emergency vehicle is and he fits two of the definitions. The only difference is that he cannot speed since he is not a police, ambulance or fire vehicle.

I'd rather not go into detail on what work he does but I have read the UK laws regarding vehicle lighting regulations and he is not breaking it.

Well i'm not an expert in the subject or in law, but when you say 'uk law regarding vehicle lighting' I think you mean 'UK regulations'. It is I believe the courts that would decide if regulations have been broken should your dad be pulled over and be charged for using blue flashing lights. The other aspect that concerns me is on the insurance. even if the regulations did not state specific requirements for insurance, i expect that your fathers insurance company would want to know if the vehicle is being used for emergency service use or first responder service etc, and has been modified with added emergency lighting. If he had an accident and blue lights were in use and nothing was declared to the insurance then he may not be covered by his insurance policy and again could result in a court case. Insurance companies like to find an 'out if they can'

 

[JamieJ]

Well i'm not an expert in the subject or in law, but when you say 'uk law regarding vehicle lighting' I think you mean 'UK regulations'. It is I believe the courts that would decide if regulations have been broken should your dad be pulled over and be charged for using blue flashing lights. The other aspect that concerns me is on the insurance. even if the regulations did not state specific requirements for insurance, i expect that your fathers insurance company would want to know if the vehicle is being used for emergency service use or first responder service etc, and has been modified with added emergency lighting. If he had an accident and blue lights were in use and nothing was declared to the insurance then he may not be covered by his insurance policy and again could result in a court case. Insurance companies like to find an 'out if they can'

He pays a lot for insurance thats all I know.

As for being pulled over he has been, multiple times by different forces around the country but the police check his paperwork and say its fine.

 

[rolyberkin]

All blue lights are type approved and tested, even the ones fitted in headlights, the cost of type approval is prohibitively expensive for the manufacturers or importers, hence the high cost of genuine units. The in light strobes will due to the installation methods probably cause problems with the headlights as you have to drill holes in them or remove other obligatory lights to install. Using non approved blue lights would probably enable the insurer in the event of an accident to void any extension on your policy which may or may not allow their use, some forces such as the Met expect 360 visibility from all cars fitted with emergency equipment in their areas. In short if you are using this type of equipment it shouldn't be something you have knocked up at home.

The thing to remember here with regards to can I can't I, is not whether someone can use emergency lights legally or otherwise but what happens when their use causes an accident by proximity, and whether their use (by a person presumably untrained in emergency driving) causes someone to be seriously injured or worse. It is not what you do but what your use of the equipment causes someone else to (when an old biddy swerves and knocks someone over!) At that point the discussion will not be whether you can or can't use them, but whether the use at that time was justified and necessary, caused or was a contributory factor to the accident. The next question will be whether the person using the lights should be prosecuted or not. Insurance is fairly irrelevant in this case, it is not a get out of jail free card, it merely shows that you carry third party risks to be on the road driving. Even with emergency services the exemption is for the use of lights and certain road traffic act rules only. If the driver makes a mistake and or causes an accident by using emergency equipment it is the drivers personal decision to use them and the standard of driving is the same as required for any other driver. If in doubt just think, what will I say when gripping the rail in crown or county court!

 

[Wilko]

Just my opinion, but Roly is right and this is best avoided.

 

[Percyprod]

Sounds like your dad is a self appointed emergency driver, all sounds very dodgy. Who trained him? Bethel trained himself.