A simple Google search will turn up hundreds of studies based on the effectiveness of emergency lighting on the road. Obviously, this wealth of information is too vast to summarize in one article; however, there is one study that sticks out when discussing whether red or blue emergency vehicle lights are easier to see on the road. In this article, we will go over a study released by Lt. James D. Wells Jr. on behalf of the Florida Highway Patrol. This study was released in 2004 and concentrates mainly on emergency lighting configurations and the effectiveness of these lights in helping to reduce collisions on the road and keeping officers and emergency first responders safer on the road.
Who Should Understand the 2004 Florida Highway Patrol Emergency Lighting Configurations?
This study offers helpful information for anyone who wants to understand more about emergency vehicle lights and their physical and psychological effects on drivers. However, anyone that is charged with installing or buying emergency vehicle lights for first responder and emergency responder vehicles should read and understand this study. By understanding the information in this article, buyers and installers can save money, avoid aggravation, and help to protect officers, first responders, and emergency responders who are working and driving vehicles in the field.
Who is Lieutenant James D. Wells Jr.
This study was created by Lt. Wells on behalf of the Florida Highway Patrol. Lt. Wells was a member of the Law Enforcement Stops and Safety Subcommittee. This committee is volunteer-based and works under the financial support of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and is affiliated with the International Association of Chiefs of Police. As a me...
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...he information provided in this article can help reduce collisions on the road and help to save officers and emergency responders’ lives on the road.
Check State Statutes before Purchasing Red or Blue Emergency Vehicle Lights
While all the information above is very important in helping to keep officers safe on the road, it is important to remind buyers, installers, and drivers are not allowed to use the same color emergency lights. For instance, some drivers may be allowed to use red and blue lights on their emergency vehicle while other drivers may only be allowed to use solid blue or solid red. Before an order is made for emergency vehicle lights, it is important to realize that this type of lighting is governed by state statutes. To make sure you are purchasing the right colored lights for your emergency vehicle, it is important to consult state statutes first.
When formed by legislation in 1935, the Colorado State Patrol was created to “…promote safety, protect human life and preserve the highways of this state by the courteous and strict enforcement of the laws and regulations of this state relating to highways and the traffic on such highways” (CRS 24-33.5-201). Originally named the “Courtesy Patrol,” over the last 76 years the Colorado State Patrol has evolved into a comprehensive and complex law enforcement agency, without forgetting its original mission. Through the dedication to its members, both past and present, distinguished professional standards, and industry-leading technical competence, the Colorado State Patrol has stayed true to its traditions while taking on changing law enforcement challenges.
Statistics show 16- to 17-year-old driver death rates increase with each additional passenger, which is due to distracted driving. Taking your eyes off the road for 2 (two) seconds, at 60 mph, means you have driven blindly for half the length of a football field. The risk of fatality is 3.6 times higher, when they are driving with passengers than when alone. For many years, the correlation between driving behavior and age has interested highway safety researchers and administrators. It is general knowledge that the greatest risk of motor vehicle crash...
Dangers on roadways is an issue that describes the discrepancy between perception and reality of road rage. The media, for some odd reason, tends to make road rage a huge controversial issue. As seen on talk shows from Oprah Winfrey to CNN, they reveal to people that road rage could happen at any time and to always be looking over your shoulder. These talk shows and news programs also put fear into our minds by explaining that most roadragers often use guns to kill or injure their victims. Glassner contradicts the media's speculations by stating that out of approximately 250,000 people killed on roadways between 1990-1997, AAA attributed that one in one thousand was an act of road rage (pg.5).
Quinton, P., Bland, N., Miller, Joel (2000) Paper 130: Police stops, Decision-Making, and Practice. London: Home Office
In today’s day and age there are so many excuses for distracted driving. Lives are put at risk every time a distracted motorist is on the road, and deaths have increased by a substantial amount in the last ten years. On Thursday, April 26th, 2014 one woman’s bad judgement cost her life (Hastings, 1). Not only was she effected, but her friends and family assuredly felt a pain in their hearts. In the few seconds it took Courtney Ann Sanford to post a few words on Facebook, it was enough to distract her from the road and to drive across another lane and through a median straight into a Truck (Hastings, 1). She was immediately killed. Shortly before her Facebook post, she was sending selfies to her friends (Hastings, 3). This just goes to show
Law Enforcement Action Forum Newsletter. State of Michigan, City of Jackson, Oct 2001. Web. Oct. 2001
Birzer, Michael L., and Cliff Roberson. Police field operations: theory meets practice. Boston, MA: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon, 2008. Print.
Just this past summer, one of my good friends was driving through Harrisonburg on his way home from work, when he noticed the one thing all drivers dread, flashing blue lights closing in on him fast. While pulling to the side of the road, he realized there was not one, but two police cars behind him. He knew he had only been going five miles per hour over the speed limit, so he was worried as to why two police cars had just pulled him over. After sitting in fear behind his wheel for several minutes, two cops walked to his car and informed him that he was getting a speeding ticket.
Police Behavior during Traffic and Street Stops. 2011 . Retrieved November 18, 2013 from: http://www.bjs.gov/index.
Young, Kristie L., John D. Lee, and Michael A. Regan. Driver Distraction: Theory, Effects, and Mitigation. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2009. EBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
The Northern Virginia driving populace expands consistently coming about because of business and lodging development. Every year additionally brings a wave of new adolescents into the driving populace. Every day amid my average drive one hour drive, I watch drivers content informing on their mobile phones. A late review led by Journey Safe, a safe driving support association, found that in excess of 90% of teens confess to doing different tasks while driving, for example, chatting on the phone, consuming, playing noisy music, channel surfing, utilizing mp3 players, and cooperating with companions in the auto actually when they concede they think that it occupying. The same study results demonstrate that a staggering 75% of adolescents confessed to content informing while driving. Content informing while driving is a developing pattern and is turning into one of the country 's top executioners. In 2011, 1.3 billion (almost 25% of all) car crashes came about because of messaging while driving and 11 adolescents kicked the bucket commonplace from messaging while driving. Notwithstanding, just thirty-nine (39) states in addition to DC restrict all drivers from content informing. Honestly, distracted driving is a perilous reality and it makes driving unsafe business for everybody on the streets. Americans ought to backing the
Wilson, Fernando A., and Jim P. Stimpson. "Trends In Fatalities From Distracted Driving In The United States, 1999 To 2008." American Journal Of Public Health 100.11 (2010): 2213-2219. Academic Search Complete. Web. 21 Feb. 2014.
High populations of deer result in numerous deer-vehicle collisions and pose a serious threat to motorists. As was mentioned previously, it is estimated that each year in the United States 29,000 people are injured and more than 200 lose their lives in deer-vehicle collisions. More than 50,000 deer-vehicle collisions are estimated to occur in New York alone each year. According to McShea, “In 2009, the insurance industry estimated that 2.4 million deer–vehicle collisions had occurred over the previous 24 months, with an estimated cost of over 7 billion dollars and 300 human fatalities” (p.3). It is hard to ascertain an accurate number of collisions because many incidents go unreported. Research indicates that preventative methods currently being implemented, such as deer whistles and reflectors are ineffective. Nighttime imposes demanding and critical driving conditions that cannot be accommodated sufficiently or satisfactory by drivers. Deer are mainly nocturnal beings but are not restricted to night movement only. Autumn is deer breeding season and in many areas, deer hunting season. During this time, deer are more active and, as a result, they are on roadways more often. Deer and vehicle collisions are a major problem and occur nationwide. From little rural areas to densely urbanized communities, no community is
United States. Department of Transportation. “Faces of Distracted Driving”. Distraction.gov. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2010.
Running a red light is extremely dangerous and if you do run a red light the risk of hitting a motor vehicle or pedestrian is much higher. There are over 2.3 million accidents each year from people running red lights and over 8,000 fatalities from people running red lights. 45% of all accidents happen at an intersection due to people running red lights. Accidents caused by running red lights are often times more severe because the person is typically going fast through the intersection. The car usually hits the other car forming what is called a T-bone collision. Getting into a T-bone collision usually means more severe injuries. You are more apt to become injured in this type of collision then being hit from behind or being hit head on. 97% of drivers do not think anyone should be running a red light and think it is a serious safety issue. One in three people either know someone who has been injured or killed in an accident involving someone who ran a red light. You can be pulled over for running a red light or can get a ticket in the mail from running a red light that has a camer...