Red lights

[tocopper 0]

Flashing red lights to the rear.........All motor vehicles have flashing red light to the rear when you engage turn signals when turning, hazzard lights or pump your brakes so I think rear facing flashing red lights are legal or the Auto Companies wouldn't make tail lights red....thoughts

[gamewell45 258]

What national standard are you referring too? What federal regulation trumps state law on such matters?

BTW, if this were true, all police cars would be red/blue front/rear because that's the national standard - but NY doesn't recognize it so it is NOT the law.

Please cite your sources.

Thanks!

US Department of Transportation for starters tho' I can't cite exact section since I don't have it in front of me.

Think about it for a second; if flashing red lights were not permitted on pov's, you'd have no four way flashers, which to the best of my knowledge are red and flash and all vehicles since the 1970's are required to have them.

[x129K 1,393]

THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAZARD LIGHTS AND EMERGENCY LIGHTS!

We all have headlights that can alternate between high and low - but we can't run wig-wags!

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAZARD LIGHTS AND EMERGENCY LIGHTS!

We all have headlights that can alternate between high and low - but we can't run wig-wags!

just flash your head lights so you can pretend you have something like wigwags hahahaha lol

[helicopper 1,050]

mreis95 funny you should say that about the HELP truck having all red lightbars I saw 2 differnt HELP trucks with all red lightbars they both had the Vector lightbar the one with 7 light pods I saw one on RT 9 in Croton and 9A in Ossinig I was told they are driven by state troopers to catch speeders. I don't no if its just rumor or true but there are 2 different trucks with red lightbars they have different numbers on the side fenders .

I would be very skeptical about those trucks being operated by Troopers for speed enforcement, especially if they say "H.E.L.P" on them. I doubt most people are going to pull over for them.

The NYPD operates HELP trucks in NYC and they are all marked with NYPD logo and letter and they might have vector light bars.

[gamewell45 258]

THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAZARD LIGHTS AND EMERGENCY LIGHTS!

We all have headlights that can alternate between high and low - but we can't run wig-wags!

Agreed, but it was stated "flashing red lights" which exactly is what hazard lights in the rear of a car are. If they meant "revolving red lights" or "alternating red lights" in the rear, then that would be a different story.

[JJB531 652]

Here are a couple of excerpts from the NYS Vehicle and Traffic Law under Section 375:

3. if manufactured on or after January first, nineteen hundred

fifty-two, at least two lighted lamps on the rear, one on each side,

which lamps shall display a red light visible from the rear for a

distance of at least one thousand feet;

18-a. Any motor vehicle may be equipped with and every motor vehicle

registered in this state and manufactured or assembled after June

thirtieth, nineteen hundred sixty-five, and designated as a nineteen

hundred sixty-six or subsequent year model, shall be equipped with a

device, approved by the commissioner, by means of which the operator may

cause the two front and two rear directional signals to flash

simultaneously for the purpose of warning the operators of other

vehicles of the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring the

exercise of unusual care in approaching, overtaking or passing. The

provisions of this subdivision requiring that certain motor vehicles

shall be so equipped shall not apply to special purpose commercial motor

vehicles registered under schedule F of subdivision seven of section

four hundred one or to a vehicle or combination of vehicles lawfully

operated under registration issued under section four hundred fifteen.

41. Colored and flashing lights. The provisions of this subdivision

shall govern the affixing and display of lights on vehicles, other than

those lights required by law. 1. No light, other than a white light, and

no revolving, rotating, flashing, oscillating or constantly moving white

light shall be affixed to, or displayed on any vehicle except as

prescribed herein.

2. Red lights and certain white lights. One or more red or combination

red and white lights, or one white light which must be a revolving,

rotating, flashing, oscillating or constantly moving light, may be

AFFIXED to an authorized emergency vehicle, and such lights may be

displayed on an authorized emergency vehicle when such vehicle is

engaged in an emergency operation, and upon a fire vehicle while

returning from an alarm of fire or other emergency.

3. Amber lights. a. One or more amber lights may be affixed to a

hazard vehicle, and such a light or lights which display an amber light

visible to all approaching traffic under normal atmospheric conditions

from a distance of five hundred feet from such vehicle shall be

displayed on a hazard vehicle when such vehicle is engaged in a

hazardous operation. Such light or lights shall not be required to be

displayed during daylight hours provided at least two red flags visible

from a distance of five hundred feet are placed both in or on the front

of, and to or on the rear of the vehicle and two such flags are placed

to each side of the vehicle open to traffic. Such lights or flags need

not be displayed on the vehicle when the vehicle is operating, or

parked, within a barricaded work area and said lights or flags are

displayed on the barricade. The provisions of this subdivision shall not

prohibit the temporary affixing and display of an amber light to be used

as a warning on a disabled motor vehicle or on a motor vehicle while it

is stopped on a highway while engaged in an operation which would

restrict, impede or interfere with the normal flow of traffic.

b. In any city in this state having a population of one million or

more, one amber light may be affixed to any motor vehicle owned or

operated by a volunteer member of a civilian or crime patrol provided

such volunteer civilian or crime patrol member has been authorized in

writing to so affix an amber light by the police commissioner of the

municipality in which he patrols, which authorization shall be subject

to revocation at any time by the police commissioner who issued the same

or his successor in office. Such amber light may be operated by such

volunteer civilian or crime patrol member in such a vehicle only when

engaged in a patrol operation as defined and authorized by rules and

regulations promulgated by the police commissioner and only in such a

manner and at such times as may be authorized by the police commissioner

pursuant to said rules and regulations.

4. Blue light. a. One blue light may be affixed to any motor vehicle

owned by a volunteer member of a fire department or on a motor vehicle

owned by a member of such person's family residing in the same household

or by a business enterprise in which such person has a proprietary

interest or by which he or she is employed, provided such volunteer

firefighter has been authorized in writing to so affix a blue light by

the chief of the fire department or company of which he or she is a

member, which authorization shall be subject to revocation at any time

by the chief who issued the same or his or her successor in office. Such

blue light may be displayed exclusively by such volunteer firefighter on

such a vehicle only when engaged in an emergency operation. The use of

blue and red light combinations shall be prohibited on all fire

vehicles. The use of blue lights on fire vehicles shall be prohibited

and the use of blue lights on vehicles shall be restricted for use only

by a volunteer firefighter except as otherwise provided for in

subparagraph b of this paragraph.

b. In addition to the red and white lights authorized to be displayed

pursuant to paragraph two of this subdivision, one or more blue lights

or combination blue and red lights or combination blue, red and white

lights may be affixed to a police vehicle, provided that such blue light

or lights shall be displayed on a police vehicle for rear projection

only. In the event that the trunk or rear gate of a police vehicle

obstructs or diminishes the visibility of other emergency lighting on

such vehicle, a blue light may be affixed to and displayed from the

trunk, rear gate or interior of such vehicle. Such lights may be

displayed on a police vehicle when such vehicle is engaged in an

emergency operation. Nothing contained in this subparagraph shall be

deemed to authorize the use of blue lights on police vehicles unless

such vehicles also display one or more red or combination red and white

lights as otherwise authorized in this subdivision.

c. The commissioner is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations

relating to the use, placement, power and display of blue lights on a

police vehicle.

5. Green light. One green light may be affixed to any motor vehicle

owned by a member of a volunteer ambulance service, or on a motor

vehicle owned by a member of such person's family, or by a business

enterprise in which such person has a proprietary interest or by which

he is employed, provided such member has been authorized in writing to

so affix a green light by the chief officer of such service as

designated by the members thereof. Such green light may be displayed

exclusively by such member of a volunteer ambulance service only when

engaged in an emergency operation. The use of green lights on vehicles

shall be restricted for use only by a member of a volunteer ambulance

service as provided for in this paragraph.

As used in this paragraph volunteer ambulance service means: a. a

non-profit membership corporation (other than a fire corporation)

incorporated under or subject to the provisions of the membership

corporations law, or any other law, operating its ambulance or

ambulances on a non-profit basis for the convenience of the members

thereof and their families or of the community or under a contract with

a county, city, town or village pursuant to section one hundred

twenty-two-b of the general municipal law; or

b. an unincorporated association of persons operating its ambulance or

ambulances on a non-profit basis for the convenience of the members and

their families or of the community.

6. The commissioner is authorized to promulgate regulations with

respect to the affixing and display of colored lights and to promulgate

specifications with respect to such lights.

The regulation talks about lights that are AFFIXED to vehicles, not lights that are already present on a vehicle, such as 4-way flashers.

Edited January 6, 2010 by JJB531

[ex-commish 490]

So nothing that JJB531 posted allows for a privately owned vehicle to have red flashing ( not hazard) lights in the rear window.