Emergency lighting plays a critical role for the police, firefighters, and first responders. While the red and blue lights of police vehicles and fire trucks are commonplace, it is essential to remember that civilian vehicle operators may also use specific types of lighting. Here is a primer on the uses of emergency lighting for civilians.
First things first: it is important to look to Massachusetts state law before deciding on an emergency vehicle lighting setup. From the outset, civilian vehicle owners are not allowed to use blue- or red-colored lights–only police and firefighters may use these colors. A strobe light color that civilians may use is amber or yellow.
Second, your vehicle may need to be registered to use strobe lighting or emergency lighting before you may use it on the road. This point is especially crucial for vehicle operators who frequently use public roadways, such as towing or snow plowing companies.
Emergency Lighting and Other Uses
While there are strict regulations that apply to the use of emergency lighting on public roads, private citizens can still use this type of lighting on their properties for personal use. For instance, farmers are welcome to use emergency strobes on tractors and other farm vehicles as a way to enforce safety measures on their land. Emergency lighting can also be used on forklifts and similar warehousing vehicles, so long as they remain on the property on which they are used.
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