# How much lightning is too much?



## Foxbat (Aug 13, 2009)

It seems like ambulances and fire apparatus in US have more lightning (lightbars, strobes, grill lights, etc.) than anywhere in the world. I have recently seen a rescue truck (about a size of a large ambulance) with a combo lightbar (traditional lightbar on top of a full-size LED lightbar), 2 rows of grill lights (each row could have made a decent little lightbar for, say, a police cruiser), couple pairs of strobes on the back, strobes on sides...
Is all this really needed? Is there such thing as too much visibility? Is there evidence that this much lightning decreases (or maybe incresas) accident rate?
I know that preventing red lights' "moth effect" was the idea behind putting arrow-sricks and amber lights on back of trucks and police cruisers, but I wasn't able to find much more info. Is there any "optimal" amount of lightning as shown by research?


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## medic417 (Aug 13, 2009)

Foxbat said:


> It seems like ambulances and fire apparatus in US have more *lightning* (lightbars, strobes, grill lights, etc.) than anywhere in the world. I have recently seen a rescue truck (about a size of a large ambulance) with a combo lightbar (traditional lightbar on top of a full-size LED lightbar), 2 rows of grill lights (each row could have made a decent little lightbar for, say, a police cruiser), couple pairs of strobes on the back, strobes on sides...
> Is all this really needed? Is there such thing as too much visibility? Is there evidence that this much *lightning* decreases (or maybe incresas) accident rate?
> I know that preventing red lights' "moth effect" was the idea behind putting arrow-sricks and amber lights on back of trucks and police cruisers, but I wasn't able to find much more info. Is there any "optimal" amount of *lightning* as shown by research?



Any lightning is to much as it fries the ambulance.  Could even kill people.  

Now as to* lighting *on the ambulance hard to say.


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## Mountain Res-Q (Aug 13, 2009)

Cases of people being hit by lightening are quite rare... and I would say that any amount of lightening coursing through a body is bad    ... as far as ambulances go...  I have never heard of any rigs being hit by lightening (although I am sure it has happened at least once), and I am quite sure that (again) any amount would be contraindicated for proper function...

BTW... Lightening has an "E" in it!  FYI


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## medic417 (Aug 13, 2009)

Mountain Res-Q said:


> Cases of people being hit by lightening are quite rare... and I would say that any amount of lightening coursing through a body is bad    ... as far as ambulances go...  I have never heard of any rigs being hit by lightening (although I am sure it has happened at least once), and I am quite sure that (again) any amount would be contraindicated for proper function...
> 
> BTW... Lightening has an "E" in it!  FYI



We have had two in our area.  Neither one ever ran again.  

In the south we skip the E as its silent.


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## Sparky79 (Aug 13, 2009)

Mountain Res-Q said:


> Cases of people being hit by lightening are quite rare... and I would say that any amount of lightening coursing through a body is bad    ... as far as ambulances go...  I have never heard of any rigs being hit by lightening (although I am sure it has happened at least once), and I am quite sure that (again) any amount would be contraindicated for proper function...
> 
> BTW... Lightening has an "E" in it!  FYI



Well someone is wrong, it's either you or Webster's dictionary.


			
				Merriam-Webster online dictionary said:
			
		

> Main Entry: 1light·ning
> Pronunciation: \ˈlīt-niŋ\
> Function: noun
> Etymology: Middle English, from gerund of lightenen to lighten
> ...


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## medic417 (Aug 13, 2009)

Merriam was a southerner.


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## dmc2007 (Aug 13, 2009)

medic417 said:


> We have had two in our area.  Neither one ever ran again.



That's interesting since IIRC a standard passenger car can be struck by lightning and be fine since the metal of the body conducts the electricity around the occupants and drivetrain to the tires where it is grounded.  I wonder if the modular design of ambulances makes this not work as well.


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## NBfire841 (Aug 13, 2009)

medic417 said:


> Any lightning is to much as it fries the ambulance.  Could even kill people.
> 
> Now as to* lighting *on the ambulance hard to say.



I almost fell out of my chair when I read this lol


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## karaya (Aug 14, 2009)

I kind of feel bad for Foxbat.  He clearly makes a well intended query and as a result he is ceremoniously ridiculed over a grammatical error by forum members who should probably look in the mirror themselves.  

This is one of the reasons I don't participate here as much as I used to.  Too many bullies and know-it-alls that hide their identity behind monikers.


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## JPINFV (Aug 14, 2009)

karaya said:


> I kind of feel bad for Foxbat.  He clearly makes a well intended query and as a result he is ceremoniously ridiculed over a grammatical error by forum members who should probably look in the mirror themselves.
> 
> This is one of the reasons I don't participate here as much as I used to.  Too many bullies and know-it-alls that hide their identity behind monikers.


I agree in large part. I'm sure almost all of us clicked on this thread with at least a half thought to posting a reply along the lines of, "Any lightning is too much." Of course once we saw the content of the post, the error was pretty obvious. Sure, making a mistake along those lines doesn't shed the OP in the best of light, but we've all made mistakes. Hell, I bet I could double my post count by correcting the numerous amount of posts that mix up "loose" and "lose." 

Seriously, people, let it go.


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## Summit (Aug 14, 2009)

Too much?







Or not enough?


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## Meursault (Aug 14, 2009)

[snide] Judging from the Health and Fitness forum, a lot of people in EMS need to be struck by lightening. [/snide]





I'm not entirely sure how one would go about establishing the proper amount of lighting for a vehicle. The authors of this paper, which I can't read, seem to have looked at it. There have been a few "articles" in JEMS. 

Naturally, the KKK standards, which specify the light type and placement, don't explain why. Warning: Reading them, or attempting to navigate the NHTSA site, is a frustrating experience.

The most interesting note is that people have been arguing over code 3 driving since at least 1953.


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## medicdan (Aug 14, 2009)

Per KKK standards, here is the standard light placement pattern, and minimum brightness.


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