Emergency lights are a must-have for all types of emergency vehicles. They are at the core of a security/maintenance operation and to have the best results, you cannot ignore the quality of these lights.

But what if we tell you that apart from the emergency lights’ quality, their colors also have deep meanings? 

Yes, not all emergency vehicle lights indicate the same message. 

However, our range of these lights ensures every hue for every type of emergency vehicle. 

One of the most frequently asked questions at our company is ‘What color emergency lights should I choose for my vehicle?’ This query comes from our customers who are first responders, paramedics, and maintenance workers. 

Well, we have detailed answers for them. And let’s get into the details of which emergency vehicle should have what color emergency light installed. 

Amber Light

The amber color represents caution all around the world. Whenever you see an amber flashing beacon, you immediately know that there’s either a maintenance squad involved, a towing service in action or a construction vehicle performing its duty.

Whenever you see an amber light, be informed that there’s a potential hazard on the road. These lights have special places in hazard-bound areas such as busy crossroads or highways where heavy traffic and its effects occur. 

Amber lights can have several meanings, the topmost being an emergency signal. Whenever you see an emergency amber light, lower your speed and get ready to give way to the slow-moving vehicle. 

Red Light

Whenever we think of a hazard, the color red strikes our imagination. That’s why, red emergency lights are a sign of a hazard that has already occurred.

You can find a red-hued light on accident sights or on fire-fighting vehicles. Ambulances and fire trucks are usually equipped with red emergency lights. 

Whenever you see a red emergency light on the road, it’s time to give way to the emergency vehicle because for them, every microsecond matters. 

In extreme cases, you may be surpassing a law if not slowing down for a red-light-bearing emergency vehicle.

Blue Light

Blue lights are specific to the law enforcement crews. The vehicles that use blue flash include police cars and highway patrolling vehicles. These lights are used to stop traffic and sometimes they are on fire engines too. 

Whatever the case, blue lights are not for every vehicle owner. These are highly regulated flash lights suitable only for the suitable personnel vehicle. 

The blue flash light is a part of the essential services vehicles and any vehicle that gets flashed with a blue light must stop immediately. 

Any vehicle that bears a blue light can surpass road laws because they need to respond to an emergency. 

Green

Green lights are not a common sight. They were recently introduced to transport people of importance from place to place.

These lights are specific to government officials only, so there’s a fair chance that you never got to see them till now. Another usage of emergency green lights is to protect and safely transport moving cargo. 

If you’re working with security services, you may need these green emergency lights for your vehicle. They may confuse the general public, but if they see one on the road, they should know that something of great importance is under the guards with these lights. 

Other drivers should react accordingly when they spot a vehicle with green emergency lights. 

White

Plain white serves as the last hue. White lights are typically used to improve visibility. They only exist to ensure that people notice your car; they don’t represent anything specific.

Emergency vehicles on the road frequently have white lights on so that people are made aware of your presence by the brightness, which can also be used to illuminate surrounding signs that you need to read.

White lights can also be used in combination with other colors. When used in this way, the white light helps make your emergency lighting even more visible.

For instance, some emergency vehicles feature red and white lights to draw attention to them and warn others that they are approaching

Other Split Colors

Other than the single hues, emergency vehicle lights can come in split colors too.

All the split combinations also have various meanings. They are mostly installed in specialized emergency vehicles. You may notice that the meanings of the color combos vary across regions. Let’s see, what splits are available and what do they mean:

Green/Amber:

Volunteer emergency medical services (EMS) use this combination. However, spotting an EMS with a green/amber combo light doesn’t mean that the vehicle is running for an emergency. It’s more of a signal that the vehicle is performing its regular duty to provide medical help.

Blue/Amber:

You can spot the Blue/Amber combo on some security vehicles, airport security vehicles, and private security company vehicles. Their purpose is to signal their presence and authority. You can also see these lights in airports and at events that require tight security.

Red/Green:

The combination shows that something is under protection and getting transported.

Red/Amber:

This combination shows that the vehicle is going to handle an emergency situation and all other vehicles around it must practice caution.

Red/Blue:

In some states, this combination is specific to law enforcement agencies and they turn it on only when there’s a serious emergency.

These split colors have specific usages and people respond to them wherever they see them according to the meaning.

Conclusion

In conclusion, emergency vehicles use many colors for their lights. Each light has a unique significance and purpose. As a driver, you should follow the meanings of these lights to ensure road safety.

Pedestrians must also ensure the safety of emergency responders and the general public.

It’s a social responsibility of every driver to respond carefully to all these lights and combination lights.