LED Lights on Ambulance?

Tigger said:
Socal is right, if they are too bright then you are following too far behind. It's actually probably a good thing all things considered. Brighter lights=greater following distance.

We have wig wags where I work on the ambulances, I don't use them at night.
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Same here. Only use the wig wags during the day (if my unit has them). If the lights from the emergency vehicle in front of you are too bright then hang back because you are probably a little too close.
 
I drove long before getting my license, I am aware of the safe driving distance, I don't care how far you follow, it is still very bright. Not to mention trying to see where they are parking you on scene.
 
All we have on the rigs are LED's
 
DesertEMT66 said:
Same here. Only use the wig wags during the day (if my unit has them). If the lights from the emergency vehicle in front of you are too bright then hang back because you are probably a little too close.
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But what does that do for the civilians who must drive by the rigs with their lights on and are stopped on the road?

Granted, they should slow down and move over but if the lights are blinding them, it is an accident waiting to happen.
 
ffemt8978 said:
But what does that do for the civilians who must drive by the rigs with their lights on and are stopped on the road?

Granted, they should slow down and move over but if the lights are blinding them, it is an accident waiting to happen.
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If the lights aren't on then traffic does not have to move over (CA has a law for drivers to move over a lane on the highway if they can when emergency lights are on.

On city street it still provides a warning for driver to watch out. The doors on out ambulances have no lights so it can be easy for traffic to hit a door which in turn could take me out (often we have to park in the middle of the street for medical aids for one reason or another).
 
DesertEMT66 said:
If the lights aren't on then traffic does not have to move over (CA has a law for drivers to move over a lane on the highway if they can when emergency lights are on.
.
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the law is new and most drivers don't even know about it. it also says nothing about the lights having to be on. it states that drivers must move over OR slow down if safe for any stopped emergency or maintenance vehicle.

key words are OR and IF SAFE, meaning that they really don't have to do either.


/tangent/

back to the topic, the lights we use are much easier on the eyes when not directly in front of or behind the rig. additionally we have a lot of reflective on the ambulance, and I mean A LOT, if I don't back right into the patients driveway I kill the lights and throw on the hazards on city streets.
 
socalmedic said:
the law is new and most drivers don't even know about it. it also says nothing about the lights having to be on. it states that drivers must move over OR slow down if safe for any stopped emergency or maintenance vehicle.

key words are OR and IF SAFE, meaning that they really don't have to do either.


/tangent/

back to the topic, the lights we use are much easier on the eyes when not directly in front of or behind the rig. additionally we have a lot of reflective on the ambulance, and I mean A LOT, if I don't back right into the patients driveway I kill the lights and throw on the hazards on city streets.
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http://www.chp.ca.gov/pdf/media/09-44.pdf
http://www.ci.seaside.ca.us/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=307
http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/laws/move-over-law/

The law is 3 years old now (so not extremely new in my book).
And yeah the emergency/warning lights do have to be on.
 
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DesertEMT66 said:
http://www.chp.ca.gov/pdf/media/09-44.pdf
http://www.ci.seaside.ca.us/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=307
http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/laws/move-over-law/

The law is 3 years old now (so not extremely new in my book).
And yeah the emergency/warning lights do have to be on.
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I would argue that the secondary lights (which are generally less flashy) would be sufficient to make that section operative.

Also, just as a quick side note, that "$50" fine is really more like $250-$300 after adding penalties, assessments, and court costs. Add an extra 70-80 overall if you want to take traffic school ($60 state fee plus how ever much traffic school costs).
 
I worked most recently in the S.F. bay area on a CCT rig (2008 Dodge Sprinter) with LEDs. One thing for sure, in a congested city, those LEDs get results. In fact I liked the lights more than the rig they were mounted on.
 
All the new units the county and cities bought are all LED. The only ones with strobe lights are the reserve trucks. Most of the fire trucks and police cars are LED also.
 
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