When I was growing up in NJ I remember Police car lights were always red and blue. Volunteer fire department private vehicles had blue only. In the last few years I have noticed that most police cars are blue only. Is this new?

Curious.

When I was growing up police were always red & blue.

Fire/EMS was always red. Never blue.

Fire/EMS is still red, but yes, police seem to be trending towards blue only.

Volunteer FF/EMS can have red lights on their private vehicles, but nobody has blue (legally) other than bona fide LEOs.

-Rob

In Kentucky, by statue the police are and always have been blue. Local governments have to pass an ordinance if they want to add red to it.

At my advanced age I find the high intensity LED blues and sometimes whites on police cars absolutely blinding at night.

When I was growing up everybody had red lights (bubble gum machine on roof).

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
In Kentucky, by statue the police are and always have been blue.

Same in Arkansas.

The buffy effect seems to have taken over. Color looks to be less important now than the requiremnt that they be plentiful and so blindingly bright, to the point of being dangerous to traffic in all directions.

Totally state based. I see the OP is in North Carolina now. You see a lot of all blue in the southeast. I wouldn't be surprised if New Jersey was still a red light state.

My state was all red for law enforcement until 2001. The firefighters were allowed blue and openly opposed the legislature giving police blue lights under some thought that the public would be confused. Ridiculous. A police vehicle with blue lights, must, however, have a red light on the left side.

It's per-state. In a lot of the South, and some of New England, PD runs blue only; in other states, a combination of red and blue.

Due to a recent encounter with the local constabulary, I know that the colors on the vehicle, when flashing in south central Pennsylvania, are both red and blue and intensly bright.

It was a fine day until I saw those lights in the mirror of my motorcycle....

quote:

Originally posted by Chris42:
Due to a recent encounter with the local constabulary, I know that the colors on the vehicle, when flashing in south central Pennsylvania, are both red and blue and intensly bright.

It was a fine day until I saw those lights in the mirror of my motorcycle....

I took this pic in Pittsburgh not to long ago. Looks like mostly blue there

And they don't drive cars anymore.... all I'm seeing are SUVs.

quote:

Originally posted by Blackmore:
At my advanced age I find the high intensity LED blues and sometimes whites on police cars absolutely blinding at night.

I agree, at random checkpoints, several vehicles with lights going make things psychedelic!

Shifting trends. Happens way too much in Law Enforcement. Many states had laws once the stated Police used Blue and Red or all Blue. Fire and EMS used all Red. In North Dakota for many years Class A Emergency Vehicles had to use Red and Clear lights. These are Police, Fire, EMS. Volunteer Fire and EMS using personal vehicles had to use all Blue. Now in North Dakota Class A Emergency Vehicles can use Red and Blue.
Here in Montana for many years Police used all Blue lights and Fire and EMS use Red. Now many Police departments use Red and Blue. Times change.

State Police here in Michigan have had a red “bubble gum machine” on their roof forever. The only police department I’ve seen with that, all other PD’s around here use blue lights.

When I was young, all lights were red. (I think we were in Ohio) Single "Gumball machine" on top. And Sirens were "wailers", then I remember the first time the "warbler" sounded, my older sister started freaking out say flying saucers were coming. (Yeah, really...)

Then when living in Baltimore a few years later, all the lights were blue.

quote:

Originally posted by Warhorse:
State Police here in Michigan have had a red “bubble gum machine” on their roof forever. The only police department I’ve seen with that, all other PD’s around here use blue lights.

Kent County Road Commission installed green strobes on their plows last year. It's annoying as all getout. What was wrong with orange/yellow?

Green.... pffft.

30 years on a NJ department and they were always red. Some towns may have put a blue in for contrast. Blue was always the volunteer firefighters.

NJ state statute 39:4-92.1 actually permits either red or blue.

Before the initial interstate project was completed, a lot of those roads existed as two or even four lane in some cases, but not limited access like they now are. The one I am most familiar with was the Willow Run Highway, now I-94, so named because it moved traffic from Detroit to Willow Run airport where B24's were built. It was 4 lanes, 2 each way, so traffic moved pretty fast on it, but it was divided by only a very narrow median, sometimes with some farm fence between opposing lanes, and quite a number of cross roads with traffic lights. 60-70 mph speeds and traffic lights don't mix well, so it seemed you were always backed up by a wreck. Anyway, at some point the sheriff's department started using blue lights, and I remember my dad saying that he wished the state police would follow suit because those blue lights were a lot easier to pick out in a sea of red brake lights. 60 years later and, like Warhorse said, everyone here is using blue, have been for years, except the state police who seem to prefer their red bubbles. Now if only our ambulances would stop using LED brake lights, because when one even taps the brakes in front of you everything on the back of it turns red and it's literally, in my opinion, a significant distraction.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
In Kentucky, by statue the police are and always have been blue. Local governments have to pass an ordinance if they want to add red to it.

Red and Blue is a requirement for National CALEA accreditation which is why many have added red or blue dependent upon the state.