Have you ever noticed the bright and colorful lights of an emergency vehicle, such as a fire truck or police car, and wondered whether you could attach similar lights to your personal vehicle? It would make driving down the road during rush hour a whole lot easier!
Alternatively, you might have thought these lights might be a helpful addition to your work truck or van. Whether you run a private security company, tow truck business, or other business that requires work on the road, having Emergency Light Bars on the top of your vehicles could make it a lot easier to go from point A to point B. Plus, it would give customers an easy way to identify your company and cars and could seriously help you stand out from the competition.
Unfortunately, there are some pretty serious restrictions on what types of vehicles can have emergency light bars and other exterior lights on their cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs. While these restrictions often incorporate utility vans and construction trucks among the permissible vehicles, private citizens are often prohibited from driving with these noticeable lights unless they have a specific need to.
Private Civilians and Light Purchases
The legality of using emergency light bars, LED grill lights, and other flashing or colorful lights can be confusing. These light systems are available for purchase by the general public, and towing companies, for example, can find great lights for their vehicles online through web-stores such as Ultra Bright Lightz. However, simply being able to purchase these lights doesn’t make it legal to use them.
There is nothing that allows the government to regulate the sale of emergency lights, LED light bars, and similar systems. The reason there aren’t restrictions around the sale of these vehicle lights is that simply owning the lights isn’t a crime. You can hang them in your garage without any repercussions, unless they cause a disturbance to your neighbor, of course. Therefore, the government doesn’t need to prohibit the purchase and sale of these devices. What could be illegal, depending on state laws, is attaching these lights to your personal vehicle.
When Use on Private Vehicles is OK
There are some limited uses for light bars, provided they are only white light and not the red-and-blue associated with police vehicles. One such allowed use is placing emergency lights and other exterior vehicle lights on a car or truck used to patrol private property. While in many urban and suburban areas this use might seem like an out-of-date example, there are plenty of rural areas that still rely on flashing or rotating lights for their private security vehicles.
Other instances when private security is allowed to utilize flashing or strobe lights includes patrol of amusement parks and other large recreational facilities such as zoos. On these grounds, it can be absolutely necessary to have a way to identify a private security vehicle, as in the event of an accident, injury, or lost child a frantic visitor needs to contact security as soon as possible. Provided these vehicles aren’t used on public roadways, most states allow trucks, vans, cars, and carts to attach various emergency lights.
In addition to security and maintenance on private property, civilians might be able to attach grill lights, side lights, and other exterior lighting to their cars or trucks while out on the road. However, the rules regarding these lights are determined by on a state-by-state basis.
For example, there are some states that allow a civilian to place strobe lights, in all white, to the front or underside of their car. These lights are frequently used to differentiate a certain make or model of car and can be a reflection of personal style. However, other states determined these lights were a serious distraction and made even white strobe lights illegal.
Where to Find All Types of Lights
Whether you are looking for emergency light bars for your police cars, private security vehicle, or tow truck, the highest quality lighting brands are available at Ultra Bright Lightz. Browse our comprehensive selection and find exactly what you need!
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