The Features of an Emergency Light Bar That Can Save Lives on the Road

Proper emergency lighting can mean the difference between a driver seeing your response vehicle at night and missing it, potentially causing an accident. Roadways are already dangerous enough without issues of visibility being thrown into the mix. Because of the nature of high-speed travel, a quality emergency light bar can save lives. Keep reading to find out what features your light bars should have to ensure they are functioning to the best of their ability. 

1. 360-Degree Visibility
Believe it or not, not all light bars for emergency vehicles actually provide 360-degree visibility with the light they cast. This fact is especially true of older models of light bars, which generally use incandescent bulbs requiring more bulky housings. As a result of the limitations of incandescent bulbs, and the moving parts necessary to create a strobing effect, older light bars provide inconsistent light with large blind spots. Blind spots are never a good thing on the road.

New light bars largely utilize LED bulbs, which can be quickly flashed simply with the use of electricity, instead of needing moving parts to create a strobe. In addition, because of the extremely reduced size of individual LED bulbs, bulbs can be arranged in an array that totally encircles the bar, meaning light will be projected in every direction around the vehicle.

2. Adjustable Colors and Strobe Patterns
Depending on the needs of your company and individual vehicles, it might be necessary to have multiple setups for your emergency light bar, including different color and strobe patterns. Setting up multiple patterns or colors is nearly impossible with older, non-LED light bars. Newer light bars contain various levels of digital control, from basic control remotes to computer-based applications that allow significant change to be applied to your lights.

For an example of the application of varied light coloration and patterns, consider how different a rapid strobe feels in comparison to a slow strobe. A slow strobe can indicate a need for motorists to take caution and proceed slowly while a rapid strobe indicates the need for drivers to quickly and safely evacuate the immediate roadway. 

3. Low Maintenance Cost and Easy Maintenance
One of the greatest unsung benefits of newer light bars is the significantly decreased cost of maintenance. LED bulbs are tiny and arranged in arrays such that the failure of a single bulb will not cause major downtime for the light bar. If an individual bulb fails, LED light bars can continue to be used without a major reduction in visibility until a replacement can be purchased and installed. Additionally, LED bulbs tend to last more than three times as long as their incandescent counterparts, meaning replacements are less likely to be needed. 

If you do encounter issues with a bulb, LED bulbs are safe and easy to replace, as they contain no glass and no dangerous gasses. With fluorescent bulbs, replacements could be dangerous to those doing the replacement, but this is not the case with LED bulbs.

As you can surely see, LED emergency light bars are the way of the future. When you’re ready to upgrade your vehicles, make sure to get your hands on the best by shopping with us at www.ultrabrightlightz.com! Our prices, model options, and customer service outclass all the competition because we know you deserve the best.