Code 3 PSE AS-1 lights for rear deck

Jim1348 · Post by **Jim1348** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 6:55 pm

I found some used Code 3 PSE AS-1 lights that I am thinking of installing in my unmarked squad cars rear deck. Both of these are red, however, and I already have enough red to the rear. My question is where is the best place to get replacement lenses for these and what color do you guys think is most effective? In Minnesota we can pretty much have red, blue, or amber to the rear. One thought is to just go traditional with amber in the rear, but I have also thought of having one amber and one blue.

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 7:25 pm

I would go blue/red or blue/blue

I dont have the article but I remember reading a study that showed that amber was almost hypnotic. People stare at it and often "head towards the amber light"

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 7:31 pm

oh and http://www.lshlights.net/Code_3_Store.htm sells the as-1, but didnt see lenses. I bet if you email them they will sell you the lenses.

apco25 · Post by **apco25** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 8:08 pm

amber blue is a classic combo used extensively out in california.

Both colors are optically brighter than red.....

007 · Post by **007** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 8:45 pm

If you have red and blue elsewhere on the car, then go with either amber/amber or amber/blue on the back deck.

See Apco's comments above

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 8:49 pm

Here's an article that will disappoint most squirrels in regard to lighting, especially flash rates/patterns.

http://www.cvpi.com/pdfs/BRP_Report_Out ... ations.pdf

afterimage84 · Post by **afterimage84** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 8:49 pm

Adam wrote:I would go blue/red or blue/blue

I dont have the article but I remember reading a study that showed that amber was almost hypnotic. People stare at it and often "head towards the amber light"

Thats funny...because they also say yellow is the best for visability. Thats why the fd's/nfpa uses it..."they" say. Also it was ound that people are less inclined to rubberneck at yellow lights. They are made aware by the lights but assume it's "DOT" or a wrecker.

I think that for every study "for" something there are just as many against.

$0.02

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 9:09 pm

It makes sense to me. What do all eyes do with headlights? Stare at them.. white/clear and yellow are very similar. All I'm saying is the study found the human eye response to "amber" was to stare at it.

Adam · Post by **Adam** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 9:33 pm

I think that for every study "for" something there are just as many against.

Certainly agree with you on that.

Two contradicting articles:
http://www.respondersafety.com/news/200 ... light.html
Further, a research paper comparing response times using lights and sirens versus not using them found there was no statistically significant differences in response times and patient outcomes]/i]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/quer ... t=Abstract
The average Code 3 response interval was 4.46 minutes. The average Code 2 response interval was 7.48 minutes.

I highly disagree with alot of the stuff in the respondersafety article. It praises amber. And says you should just use an amber beacon or hazard lights. Well excuse me but everyone knows and observes daily that no one gives a crap about hazard lights or amber period. The vast majority of drivers don't even slow down for amber, much less merge over a lane.

What's everyone do when they see red and blues on the shoulder. Slam on the brakes. "Oh I don't want to get pulled over!"

I do agree with this paragraph:
We have the tendency to steer in the direction of gaze. A driver intending to proceed straight along a road who shifts his visual attention to the side of the road will drift in that direction. The less alert and more impaired the driver, the greater the potential and degree of drift. The longer the driver looks toward the road shoulder, the greater the risk of a collision with an object at the curb or off the roadway.

007 · Post by **007** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 9:42 pm

Amber is indeed the most visible color used in public safety, and numerous studies have been done by many sources ranging from CHP, Arizona DPS, Texas DPS and the NFPA.

Case in point: CHP uses amber and blue extensively to the rear, and red to the front. Why? Amber to the rear still shows the public that a hazard exists, but prevents all the rubber necking associated with red/blue lights all over. Most of the time, CHP will turn off most or all of the lights to the rear on traffic stops to prevent the rubber necking associated with it.

I have first hand knowledge of this, and compared to my current agency's unwritten policy of leaving everything on from start to finish, I must admit that I felt no less safe while riding with CHP than I do here. In some respects, I felt safer since we were drawing less attention to ourselves and therefore passing motorists where less inclined to be distracted by our presence.

If you look at a CHP car with a lightbar, you'll see that they have 4 blue/2 red pods to the rear, and 3 red/2 white/2 blue to the front with the white used primarily as intersection sweeps or takedowns.

All CHP enforcement cars have FS 8 light amber SignalMaster arrow bars, and they are used quite a bit in lieu of red/blue lights when on the side of the road.