LED technology has been a great help for work vehicles. Warning and hazard lights consume lower power and produce higher brightness.

National Highway Administration’s statistics show a gruesome picture. There have been approximately 750 accidents that involved motorists in a construction zone. And there have been 120 more worker fatalities as well.

These incidents have led the mandatory road rules. The Society of Automotive Engineers mandates them. It’s a must for the tow and snowplow, utility, and construction vehicles to have warning and hazard lights.

The strobe lights have the potential to grab pedestrians’ and motorists’ attention. They will also give warnings about potentially dangerous situations or activities.

They are available in blue, white, and amber. You’ll also find a range of strobe effects. There are mounting styles and SAE classes for these lights. These factors are decided based on the speed of the vehicle.

LEDs have become the best option with the transition in the lighting world. Just as so, these warning and hazard lights are also produced to consume low electricity. They also have a longer life than gas-discharge choices and traditional halogen lights.

Fleet managers find this transition attractive. And what’s more exciting is the LED technology prices. The prices are relatively lower. For example, vehicles that need Class 2 lights are installing Class 1 lights. These have become brighter and budgeted choices.

James Wong says, “Today, the entire hazard LED warning light industry is undergoing a significant sea change. Namely, the industry’s shift to LED technology,”

He also added, “The reason for this migration comes down to three factors. Energy efficiency, longer service life, and brightness.”

James also mentions, “LEDs consume less power than any other lighting technology on the market. They are powered by low voltage, allowing for the minimal draw of electrical current from the vehicle’s battery.”

When we look at halogen lights, they consume more current, which can drain the battery life. Apart from that, halogens are considered bad choices for energy-efficient lights. This is because halogens lose 95% of the energy to generate heat.

The strobe lights with gas-discharge option are inefficient too. But this isn’t because of excessive current absorption like the halogen lights. But it’s because of the contracted, intense heat generation. These can reduce the flash tube’s service life.

So when you look at LEDs, they only consume 25-30% of power compared to halogen lights or gas discharge. This is why LEDs have 10 times service life. On average, they last over 70,000 hours.

As most parts of the world are opting for LED technology, it has also increased in quality. Back in the day, LEDs weren’t as bright as other traditional lights.

It didn’t meet SAE’s luminous intensity need for warning and hazard lights. These were calculated in candelas. LEDs have become the brightest option compared to halogen or strobe lights.

James adds, “LEDs today are much brighter.” and also mentions, “Today, they are more than bright enough to meet the SAE standard for candela over 100 feet.”

As for James, another issue with early adoption was the price point. It has changed over time. James says, “The cost to upgrade to LED strobe lights was prohibitive.

At least initially,” and continues with, “Fortunately, the prices have come down significantly in the past 10 years. And now they are about the same.”

The manufacturer says LED models’ prices will decrease further. This is when some manufacturers use outdated technology to create models.

But if you look at New Vision company, it has discounted technologies that were not in line with LED.

“Fewer companies are manufacturing gas-discharged strobe warning lights, so the price of those units is actually going up,” says the manufacturer. “In a couple of years, it will actually cost more for a gas discharge or halogen strobe.”

New Vision Company has virtually unlimited options. There are class 1-3 permanent, magnetically mounted, and vacuum beacon lights. This comes in both high and regular profiles. And it has various strobe patterns. At 12-volt DC, around 0.4-0.35 amps are drawn by most LEDs.

You’ll also find LED directional strobes with the surface-mount position that has 7 options of flash patterns. There are two phases for this:

• 20-inch
• 30-inch
• 40-inch

These LED “traffic directors” have various flash phase and pattern options. You can mount this on:

Pickup trucks

• Front push bumpers
• Running board lights
• Headache rack

This is why James wants you to make wise choices about LED strobe lights. You must know the company and the way they produce their products.

So you get quality and warranty assurance. You already know quality lights will keep your crew safe and ensure public safety. So it’s always best to spend time making warning system decisions the wisest.