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brashendeavors t1_iw4e2wv wrote

hmm, I don't know. State laws seems to say they MUST have a red flashing light (though maybe they do not need to use it unless they are running intersections of something?) and that police are also allowed an additional blue light:

>§ 4571. Visual and audible signals on emergency vehicles.

>(a) General rule.--Every emergency vehicle shall be equipped with one or more revolving or flashing red lights and an audible warning system.

>(b) Police, sheriff, fire and coroner or medical examiner vehicles.--

>(1) Police, sheriff, coroner, medical examiner or fire police vehicles may in addition to the requirements of subsection (a) be equipped with one or more revolving or flashing blue lights. The combination of red and blue lights may be used only on police, sheriff, coroner, medical examiner or fire police vehicles.

So my guess is they probably have a red light also but only use that one when, in addition to flagging down a specific motorist, are also trying to warn traffic around them? Blue is for you and means stop and red is for everyone else and means danger?


edit: I did find this:

>Most police vehicles primarily use red and blue lights – the red part here signifies that an immediate emergency is taking place, while blue police lights signal that police, and not other first responders, are present. In many cases, squad cars also use white lights. What do different color police lights mean?

So it seem, blue=police, red=emergency. red+blue=police emergency


edit2: I also found this:

>In Pennsylvania, the display of only blue light is reserved as a courtesy light for volunteer firefighters when responding to an emergency incident and/or fire house. There may not be any other colors present and no more than 2 flashing or revolving lights/bulbs, further it must have 360 degrees of visibility. Civilians are not required but are generally encouraged to move over when only blue light is present. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_vehicle_lighting#Blue_4

note: I think "only blue" means no white flashing lights as well

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weaponizedbeanfarts t1_iw4j35y wrote

Sounds like a volunteer fire fighter, which typically use blue lights on personal vehicles

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Riding_Dirty_ t1_iw4lgux wrote

The ones I've seen it on so far are fully fledged cops cars, 911, police k9 unit down the sides etc. Def not firefighter

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Speakslinux t1_iw4x3u8 wrote

Calling BS on this right now. There is absolutely no way this would occur in Pennsylvania. Are you sure this isn't Maryland or Delaware you are talking about? What road did you see these on?

Laws are very clear on this.

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Riding_Dirty_ t1_iw51uoa wrote

Pa, Montgomery county area. Right by the Roslyn school out front and around that area. And today driving through Philly I saw another 2 cars with white and blue only but also saw a red white and blue cop car which was interesting. I'm just curious as to why 1 they are doing it and 2 why aren't they all doing it

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Speakslinux t1_iw53oqv wrote

I get what you are stating, but this would be illegal in Pennsylvania. If it was in Philadelphia I wouldn't put it past them to do it, but I'm telling you if it happened in Pennsylvania it is highly suspicious at best.

Probably Fire Police if it were in the Montgomery County area. Fire Police are sometimes a odd bunch. They will buy a used cruiser and then put all their whack-a-mole lights on it along with antennas to give it that cool look.
What people may not know is that a PA Fire Police Officer only has to be a member of a volunteer fire department in the state. There is nothing in the PA State statutes that prohibit them from their services being used throughout the state.

Source: I've studied this stuff that was taught by a Pennsylania State Police instructor. Some people are also under the impression that a fire police officer may not posess a firearm... And this of course would be false as well. If they use it for protection or for personal carry it passes the sniff test. If they use it in the performance of their duties it would be illegal.

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Riding_Dirty_ t1_iw55t7m wrote

Well it was 100% Pennsylvania police and not fire police as it was a police cruiser for my tow ship I saw and another few as completely unmarked but we're acting as cops to pull people over so maybe fake cops there but it doesn't explain the local cop doing it?

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opskito t1_iw5113n wrote

Interesting aside: They just passed legislation permitting tow trucks to utilize rear-facing flashing blue lights during roadside recoveries. Apparently, this change was spurred by motorists not paying sufficient attention to amber lights alone.

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crazypants9 t1_iw4sl0o wrote

Cops and fire trucks still have red lights. The rest of the lights are volunteers and local yahoos.

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Riding_Dirty_ t1_iw525si wrote

The onea I saw running blue and white only were full cops cars with police down the side etc. A few maybe 2 or so we're unmarked cars but the rest were marked police

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Old_Moment7914 t1_iw5sjh5 wrote

PSP fleet currently has Whelen and they use Trio modules on corners that do R/W/B so it can alternate red/blue on slide 3 and do white for scene and alley lights , local departments vary the next town over from me got a new PIU and got a “good deal” on Federal Pathfinder siren and lighting system ( chinesium baked in ) another department really cheaped out and went code 3 , I have seen some crazy shit on K-9 units running blue ( they haven’t caught shit from homeland YET but rest assured it is coming ) randomly police and fire departments will get wild hairs up there ass and defy there own state laws and lighting conventions , departments are like individuals and try to slide things by and see if they can get away with it ,they get caught and it costs taxpayers stupid money ( back in the early 90’s I know a department that purchased and issued Uzi sub machine gun to each officer , ATF shut that down and confiscated every weapon before anybody got hurt ) blue and white is just stupid game playing risk taking by odd ball departments , as I don’t what agencies cars maybe involved , nothing is a certainty , I have shouted out to agencies that unfit emergency vehicles asking if anybody has done any blue white only but so far nobody in NY,NJ , or PA has built any that I know , if I find anything specific I will update you such as who built them and for who , I know guys from Long Island to Long Beach . There is also the possibility of malfunction or some DIY idiot hacking the brain and not knowing what there doing , that happens a lot , most of the major manufacturers have an encryption lock option and it prevents DIY tampering or corrupting the programming . Since programmable digital flashers you literally program what each LED can flash and when . There is a company in Texas called Feniex that markets a 4 color LED light head unfortunately they are very low quality ,and flawed versions of products get discontinued/orphaned by this company almost monthly .

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Blexcr0id t1_iw6qmqz wrote

Sounds like a variety of makes & styles for LED lighting. Just thinking about popo with blue/white; could this be an issue where the officer chose the wrong light program? Police in my area and staties (I drive 76 every weekend) are always red, white, & blue.

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Huejaneous t1_iw4dxlf wrote

In the Philly area it is still red and blue.

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PopeMaIone t1_iw4g0zq wrote

I don't think there's been any change

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Riding_Dirty_ t1_iw4itzb wrote

Google pulls up that since 2020 they've been trying to phase it out USA Wide as blue is significantly easier to see and can be seen much farther away than red so they are phasing out red and going for more blue but I don't know how accurate that is.

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Speakslinux t1_iw4xw9w wrote

PA Light Laws simplified are very clear on this. It would make no sense for Pennsylvania Law Enforcement of any type to use just blue lights.

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timewellwasted5 t1_iw852z3 wrote

That sounds highly unlikely. I’m a first responder, and they are trying to increase the visibility of emergency lights, not decrease them.

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worstatit t1_iw6q2ug wrote

Pennsylvania police lights are exclusively to be red and blue. White is optional. Possibly you saw a car with faulty lights. An agency that installs only blue runs the risk of being mistaken for volunteer firefighters, which they wouldn't do for liability reasons. With the advent of LED lights, it's becoming a shitshow, varying quality, color, intensity, placement on vehicle, etc., plus every plow jockey and construction foreman has them installed. Police tend to reuse light systems on newer vehicles to save money, possibly this could explain it? Couldn't replace red obsolete bulbs or something? Might want to call and ask that department.

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Riding_Dirty_ t1_iw6zgih wrote

I mean one car sure but I've seen over 8 different cars now, 5 of them being full marked police cruisers so I can't imagine it's fault on all of them? Google pulls up some stuff about blue being much more visible in day and night so police are switching to blue and white only but that was in 2020 so idk if it's actually happening.

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4MuddyPaws t1_iw4epi0 wrote

Gettysburg does red/blue.

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Odd_Description_2295 t1_iw4j5sn wrote

The way our eyes adapt to the dark. Its actually "easier" for human eyes to see blue light spectrum at night. Whereas red light is more pronounced during the day

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TheRealJewbilly t1_iw5e3c2 wrote

Hey OP… where the lights actively on and flashing? Since the lights are LED now, the housing/light bar can be clear and not necessarily the color the light will be when flashing.

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Riding_Dirty_ t1_iw5f306 wrote

Flashing/strobing

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TheRealJewbilly t1_iw5fpa5 wrote

Well I got nothing then. I’m pretty sure they have white lights in the light bars, along with red and blue, but I I’ve never seen them flash blue/white only. I’m with you though, I’d really have to think twice about pulling over if it weren’t blue/red

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Riding_Dirty_ t1_iw5gzmy wrote

It's not like I'd drive off is out my hazards on our keep driving with them off but I'd call the police and ask them if someone is trying to stop me but it just is sus. Alog of these fake cops actually have guns so no shot I'm stopping unless I'm sure 100% it's a real cop. Although to be honest I have been known run from cops and successfully get away but in a car those days are over as I sold my racecar but I own a motoey nor so it'll come down to if it's legit cop since it's much harder to call while on a bike so I might lose them first and then call or go right to the police station (my local one never has armed or active duty cops in the station tho just paperwork clerks with no training).

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IamSauerKraut t1_iw5rqm2 wrote

What I want to know is why are some cars driving at night with a solitary blue light on the windshield by the rear view. Vehicles look like regular passenger vehicles, not fire police. And often appear to not be in a hurry.

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shewy92 t1_iw75kim wrote

State police all have red and blue where I am

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newmen1313 t1_iw7d87a wrote

Here is something interesting i found:

In the UK, police cars use blue lights with additional white lights at the front and red lights at the rear to help other road users determine direction of travel. The rear red lights can be switched on and off separately from blue lights to indicate caution.

I thought we figured out that red, and red shifted light can cause aggressive moods and reactions to some senative people so I was expecting to find that they stopped using them, but i have not seen this anywhere that I have researched so it is probably just a me thing, and not supported by evidence.

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gj13us t1_iwcphu0 wrote

I would've thought maybe they were PA Constables, but if it's a fully marked (Livery?) police cruiser, I have no idea.

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Riding_Dirty_ t1_iwdhe0k wrote

Fully marked yeah some were unmarked though but others were fully marked which is why I'm so confused

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redditornot6648 t1_iw5l93n wrote

This is fake news.

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Riding_Dirty_ t1_iw5msby wrote

How so.

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redditornot6648 t1_iw5njzi wrote

It’s literally impossible and you are clearly blind or insane

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Riding_Dirty_ t1_iw5q7in wrote

Well it's clearly not impossible sinces it's being done and google confirms that. So idk what to tell you as I'm neither blind nor insane.

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