I am preparing to start a snow plowing business and just bought a new truck. I want to have it set-up correctly for lighting and am hoping I might get some valued feedback/tips from LE. Last week I saw a pick-up truck with white pulse strobes in the tail lights and I felt that it was pretty good from an effect point of view, but I wonder if that is correct under the law. Any comments about plow lighting in general would be appreciated.
Thank you!
Posted by: Wolfman
For safety purposes while plowing, youre best off with a simple halogen rotor up top and amber flashers on the corners of your truck. Aside from white flashing lights being illegal, studies have shown that a rapidly flashing light such as a strobe causes problems with oncoming traffic gauging distance. Strobes are better used as an attention-getter to move traffic out of the way as opposed to avoiding collision, hence their more appropriate use for emergency vehicles instead of utility vehicles.
LED's tend to be directional and generally lack the visual radius of a strobe or halogen; a longer burn such as a halogen flasher gives more warning over a wider radius and allows oncoming vehicles to better judge the distance to the plow truck. Also a halogen will generate heat as it is operated and will melt any accumulated snow or ice off of its lens. If you can afford them, LED's may be useful for the corners of the vehicle but they should be arranged to face in all directions and have a relatively slow flash speed with a long burn time, and you should be checking them to make sure that snow or ice has not built up and obscured the lens.
Posted by: JinCha
Thank you, Wolfman!
My brother is an ex-PO and ex-Sheriff. He had told me almost the exact same thing but since he has a tendency to embellish, I thought I needed a second opinion. Actually, I had hoped he was embellishing because those white strobes sure look nice. But, for all I know the guy in the Pick-Up I saw with white strobes could be some type of LE. I do want my set-up to abide by the law even if it is not as cool as it could be. Thus, I appreciate your Reply. I did read an earlier thread where some PO’s were debating whether it is a waste of type to cite some plow guy for incorrect lighting. I could just go ahead and set it up as I wish and wing it, but, then again, my brother would probably cuff me.
Happy Holidays!
ma police, boston ma police, massachusetts police, massachusetts police, mass state police, mass police, ma, mass, massachusetts, massachusetts, massachutes, massachusetts law, massachusetts polece, police, officer, police officer, cops, police gear, law enforcement, police duty gear, state police, sheriff, law, police supply, police agency directory, police agency, police department, traffic officer, police dept, state trooper, dispatcher, massachusetts county sheriff, massachusetts sheriff, massachusetts department of corrections, ma doc, doc, dept of corrections, police information, civil service, ma civil service, massachusetts crime, police training, police academy, ma police academy, massachusetts officers, masscop, masscops, mpa, bpa, ibpoa, police association, massachusetts police news, massachusetts crime news, mass most wanted, police career information, police patrol, police administration, police books, crime scene training, police discussion, crime discussions, cops
About MassCops, the home for Massachusetts law enforcement.
The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network opened in 1998 and is now a part of the New England Police Network The site is a pro-police discussion forum intended for sworn police officers and civilian law enforcement officials as well as those interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement here in Massachusetts.
The goal of The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network is to provide an informal network of law enforcement officials here in Massachusetts for educational and informational purposes.
The forum covers many topics such as Police Related News Articles, Agency & Profession Discussions, Police Training as well as Law Enforcement Career Information.
The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network and The New England Police Network (NEPN) and it's network sites are privately owned websites/domains and are not affiliated with or endorsed by any government association or agency.
MassCops (masscops.com) and (masscop.com) are privately owned are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Massachusetts Coalition of Police (masscop.org)
ma police, boston ma police, massachusetts police, massachusetts police, mass state police, mass police, ma, mass, massachusetts, massachusetts, massachutes, massachusetts law, massachusetts polece, police, officer, police officer, cops, police gear, law enforcement, police duty gear, state police, sheriff, law, police supply, police agency directory, police agency, police department, traffic officer, police dept, state trooper, dispatcher, massachusetts county sheriff, massachusetts sheriff, massachusetts department of corrections, ma doc, doc, dept of corrections, police information, civil service, ma civil service, massachusetts crime, police training, police academy, ma police academy, massachusetts officers, masscop, masscops, mpa, bpa, ibpoa, police association, massachusetts police news, massachusetts crime news, mass most wanted, police career information, police patrol, police administration, police books, crime scene training, police discussion, crime discussions, cops