They're red and blue, at least here in WNY.

Virginia is blue, or blue and red. The Virginia State Police are transitioning to the blue and red so expect to see other Virginia departments make the switch as well.
The dual color increases visibility, especially in daylight, and some studies show a reduction in vehicles being struck by impaired drivers when two colors are used while parked.

Many Moons ago LE used all Blue lights in Montana. Some Police & Sheriff Departments still do. The Police in the town I live in still does. Most use Red & Blue now. All Red and Red and Clear lights are used by Fire and EMS.

Back home in ND for a very long time all LE, Fire, and EMS used Red & Clear lights. Then the law was changed for LE to use Red & Blue. But volunteer Fire & EMS must use Blue on their POV's. It is weird.

If you think there's a lot of variety around the country regarding police vehicle lighting, consider Illinois in the '60s and '70s.

I once read the statutes for law enforcement vehicles, and it varied by the population in each city or town.

I don't remember the breakdown, but really big cities like Chicago got blue. As you went down in population, your squad cars got red and blue, or red, or yellow, or green....and then the smallest towns like the one I lived in (the Chicago suburb of Winfield, population 1,800 at the time) got clear.

Just crazy. I think all of those silly regulations are gone now.

quote:

Originally posted by LS1 GTO:
I know when they're in my mirrors at 0300, they're hella bright!!

Dangerously so. Was just bitching about this a few minutes ago with my nephew (a LEO) who agrees with me. FD and ambulances around here are even worse, too bright and waaaay too many.

Red and blue on police, fire and ambulances in Iowa. This last winter I saw a state snow plow running the usual amber but also had a blue. Not sure if that is a new thing or just a one off.

quote:

Originally posted by snoris:

If you think there's a lot of variety around the country regarding police vehicle lighting, consider Illinois in the '60s and '70s.

I once read the statutes for law enforcement vehicles, and it varied by the population in each city or town.

I don't remember the breakdown, but really big cities like Chicago got blue.

I lived in Illinois back then, the years that you mentioned.

I think that police used red lights, except in cities with a population larger than one million, where they used blue. Chicago was the only city that had a large enough population for blue lights.

I believe it's called Supernova Blue.

quote:

Originally posted by Stretchdeputy1:
Virginia is blue, or blue and red. The Virginia State Police are transitioning to the blue and red so expect to see other Virginia departments make the switch as well.

That’s good to know. Thank you.

quote:

Originally posted by Pyker:
Minnesota: Blue passenger side, red driver's side on the light bar, blue and red in the grille (same as bar),

Wow, that’s an interesting setup. Why different colors on different sides?

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
but blue can be found on construction equipment and trucks so I guess blue is just an attention getter and the red is for LE/emergency

Seeing the blue flashy-blinkies on a dump truck around here might be a little unnerving.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
The state cops use a single red "bubble" in the middle of the roof. I haven't seen one lit in a quite a while, but I would imagine they're strobes, now, rather than rotating beacons. Either way: They're still the same size, shape, and location they've been ever since I can remember.

I’ve seen those (not lit, mind you). That was pretty interesting. I seem to recall a long “fin” of some sort in the middle of the hood, too.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
It's hard to tell when they are as blinding as the Sun.

Ain’t that the truth!



This has been fun and informative. Thanks, y'all!

(And to be fair, my area's not really rinky-dink. It just sometimes feels like a small town that wants to be a big city.)

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:
I’ve seen those (not lit, mind you). That was pretty interesting. I seem to recall a long “fin” of some sort in the middle of the hood, too.

Yep. MSP is well known for the distinctive gumball light and "STOP" fin.

quote:

quote:
Originally posted by Pyker:
Minnesota: Blue passenger side, red driver's side on the light bar, blue and red in the grille (same as bar),



Wow, that’s an interesting setup. Why different colors on different sides?

I'm afraid you'll need to ask the legislature, I have no idea.

^^^ May have something to do with being able to determine which way the vehicle is facing/traveling. Similar to boats and aircraft.

Sex Appeal, obviously.

^^^^^

Everything I've seen or operated in Missouri is red and blue. Patrol cars, ambulances, and fire apparatus. Personal vehicles for volunteer fire are blue only, in theory. Green for emergency management.

Red and blue for sure.

We were all red for law enforcement in Iowa until 2000 or 2001 (can't remember which), when the legislature authorized blue, but required a red light to the left of the blue light. These were the days of rotating lights and strobes, so changing colors just meant changing the lenses or filters in the bar. Most agencies switched right away.

The various firefighter associations opposed the change because (as they claimed), the public would be confused by blue lights on a police car...as if red/blue being common on police vehicles around the country, a police car being distinctly different than a giant fire truck, and it being irrelevant to the public because their legal obligations to yield to emergency vehicles applies to police and fire, were not all things. Somehow, twenty years in, it doesn't seem to have mattered.