Lightbars on chase vehicles

[David Drummond]

Originally posted by John Diel
What he said... didn't want to quote it all...

Very well said, and I feel very much the same way. Once I am done with the chase vehicle I know the station is going to sticker it up some with logos, not sure exactly what yet. We will be doing some public awareness stuff. We just got through doing a career day thing at one of the local schools.

This is my thinking.... people that are residents of the plains are used to severe weather in the spring. So much so, they often get complacent about it and ignore the dark clouds brewing. Now suppose your one of these people, and you see a couple of rigged out chaser go by with lights flashing, your going to think, uh oh, there must be some tornadoes going on, there go the storm chasers. And they go tune in and find out what's going on. I think it raises public awareness around a storm in some cases.

 

[John Diel]

See Section C6

A. Any lighted lamp or illuminating device upon a motor vehicle, other than headlamps, spot lamps, auxiliary driving lamps, flashing turn signals, vehicular hazard warning lamps, authorized emergency vehicle lamps, snow removal and construction and maintenance vehicle warning lamps, and school bus and church bus warning lamps, which projects a beam of light of an intensity greater than three hundred (300) candlepower shall be so directed that no part of the high intensity portion of the beam will strike the level of the roadway on which the vehicle stands at a distance of more than seventy-five (75) feet from the vehicle.

B. Except as provided in Sections 12-216, 12-218, 12-228 and 12-229 of this title, no person shall drive or move any vehicle or equipment upon any highway with any lamp or device thereon displaying or capable of displaying a red or blue light visible from directly in front of the center thereof.

C. Flashing lights are prohibited except on :

1. An authorized emergency vehicle, as provided in Section 12-218 of this title;

2. A school bus or a church bus, as provided in Section 12-228 of this title;

3. Any snow-removal and construction, and maintenance equipment, as provided in Section 12-229 of this title;

4. A wrecker or tow vehicle while at the scene of an emergency, as provided in Section 36 of this act;

5. Any vehicle as a means of indicating a right or left turn, as provided in Sections 28 and 73 of this act;

6. Any vehicle as means of indicating the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring unusual care in approaching, overtaking or passing, as provided in Section 12-220 of this title;

7. Any vehicle displaying side marker lamps which flash in conjunction with turn signal lamps or vehicle hazard warning lamps, as provided in Section 12-220 of this title;

8. A farm tractor or an implement of husbandry, as provided in Section 12-215 of this title; or

9. Any vehicle used while performing official duties as a rural or contract route mail carrier of the United States Postal Service, as provided in Section 37 of this act.

D. Blue lights are prohibited except as allowed in Sections 12-216, 12-218 and 12-229 of this title.

E. Any person violating the provisions of subsection B, C or D of this section shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six (6) months, or by a fine not exceeding Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment.

12-220 is somewhat debatable in it's wording. If a trooper were to give me a ticket and tell me to take it off, I would at the earliest opportunity. These laws have been updated since I last looked at them so it's fairly new. How many Troopers are going to stop me simply because I have amber lights? Not very many unless I'm doing something stupid. If I'm doing something stupid, then I deserve to be stopped. Somewhere I'm sure there is an anal retentive that will bust me. I hope I don't run across him. At best, it would go to traffic court and most likely, I could get the whole thing taken under advisement. That's neither here nor there though. I serve in a public safety mode when operating the lights. that in itself is justification under the law. Whether I am reporting to puclic service or private service, it really doesn't matter, I'am still serving a public safety function.

 

[Jeff Snyder]

I have a rotating amber light that I ONLY use in very low-visibility situations. I've used it maybe 6 times in as many years... Last time I used it I was 'chasing' a nice bow echo MCS. I had to stop on the side of the road due to almost 0 visibility (at night)... I opted to use the light only to provide visibility so someone doens't smack into me at 50mph from behind. I'm not going to get into the debate about whether flashing lights actually cause folks to be attracted to the car, since it's be discussed before. I don't even put the light on my car (it's mag-mount) unless it's use is imminent, and, like I said, that only happens about once a year.

Joe N.: as you said it well, I am greatly troubled by those folks who have stickers plastered all over their vehicles staying "OFFICIAL STORM CHASER!" and "STAY BACK ONE MILE" and "SKYWARN SPOTTER - STAY BACK" yada yada yada. I have NO problem with one or two smaller bumper stickers (e.g. one of those round Skywarn stickers or something), but I don't like the huge door-sized decals... Are you there to make yourself look official and important, or are you there to document a storm, or enjoy the experience, or provide a public service via active spotting, etc? :roll:

 

[Bryce Stone]

As regards Oklahoma: everything I've seen and experienced on this says amber or clear flashing lights from any direction are acceptable so long as the chase vehicle is parked on the side of the road. I'm not sure how the law views this, but that's my real-world interpretation. As long as you're parked, you're fine.

Running up and down the road is a different story. I can't count the number of times I've seen Oklahoma chasers running with lights (wig-wags, strobes, lightbars, etc., etc.), and I've never heard of anyone getting into trouble (actually, the only story I've heard is that a trooper once stopped a NewsChannel 4 van for running wig-wags while driving). But it is frowned upon for sure by law enforcement, and if a trooper was having a bad day he might get you for it. It is not acceptable because chasers are not emergency responders.

I have wig-wags, back-up flasher, and two clear strobes on mine, but I almost never use them. Definately not the wig-wags. I have never used those at all. It's wise to have warning lights besides your hazards when you're parked roadside. It's not wise to drive like a bat out of hell while running emergency warning lights (which I've seen chasers do).

As far as lightbars, I don't see the point. You can have just as much light output on a vehicle with undercover warning lights as you can with a lightbar, with the added benefit of people not looking at you strangely (or cops asking questions). The only good thing about a lightbar is that you can use the takedowns and alleys for scene lighting.

Edit: Doesn't anyone here know some troopers to ask so we can get the question of real-world legality in the plains states answered?

 

[Tom Burgess]

I am not sure why this is always a topic that gets out of hand. I you feel the need for all the flashing lights then buy them and make your vech. look like a UFO. If you hate them them do not waste your money. You are required to follow the rules on them in the state in which yourunit is lic. If your state has no law then you can have them. Most officers will have no interest in you as long as you are not acting crazy or indangering the public. I have been doing this for 20 years and have never had a problem with useing them while useing common sense. As for units like the DOW trucks and the like. If it has gov plates it is exempt from state law on flashing lights.and to cover the question I always get Yes I worked for the WV State Police for 4 years And have been a Fire CSI for more than 20 years.

 

[J Holder]

I admit I'm a newbie here but here's my 2 cents....

Laws on lightbars vary not only by state but by locale as well. In KS Red on a vehicle is out, Blue is iffy and yellow or clear is OK. Common sense prevails, I use a small amber 1/4 bar but only if I'm stopped where there may be a traffic hazard.

Jon

 

[Ryan McGinnis]

Originally posted by David Drummond+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(David Drummond)</div>

<!--QuoteBegin-Justin Walker

I'm guilty of having a skywarn spotter sticker on my car...the reason behind the sticker is not to warn anyone...but it gives some official reasoning behind my speeding to the LAW. Cops really don't like \"storm chasers\" who are out there just following some official chaser. If you actually can spot, then it sets you apart from the others who are out there for just S's and G's. There's sort of a sneeky motivation behind it. Sorry! :wink:

Having a SKYWARN sticker gives absolutely no "officialness" whatsoever, much less a license to break traffic laws.[/b]

Of course not. I think he was saying that in the world of "cops use their own discretion", police officers are perhaps more likely to use kinder discretion with someone that they feel uses their super-storm-chasing powers for good instead of evil. It doesn't justify speeding, just like putting one of those "I support the local Sheriff's Association" donation stickers doesn't give you "licence" to speed. It just makes a cop who's having a bad day consider giving you a good day.

BTW, I use a Skywarn magnet to get fellow chasers to come out of the woodwork and say hi to me when I stop at places. Yeah, I went to a Skywarn class, but no, I'm not on the local net. I don't have the money to farm antennas. But I do like Skywarn in general and I doubt the extra visiblity kills them, unless, of course, I literally get killed while chasing with a Skywarn sticker.

 

[Mike Johnson]

As someone who witnessed a horrible fatal accident
a few years ago (not chasers) due to a dust storm and poor visibility,
I strongly support yellow flashers, bars or strobes visible from the rear.
With all the excitement along the sides of a road during a chase, any
kind of warning is a positive thing.

I do not think chasers should not be using any type of flashing light or headlamps visible on the front just to pull people over to get to a storm faster.

Mike

 

[Adam R Davis]

I'm inclined to go along with those who say they're good for low visibility, like solid walls of rain and situations like a dust storm, just so nobody will accidentally smack into them. Of course, if laws and regulations say no, not much anyone can do. Even then. I don't think a full lightbar would not be all that necessary, just a smaller strobe, like I've seen on some school busses and railroad locomotives.

I think it's silly to have lights and flashy doo-dads on the car just to say 'look at me! I'm a STORM CHASER!'. I guess people wanna be really Hollywood and dramatic though. Or maybe I'm just too mundane

Of course, TV and radio station vehicles have logos and crap plastered all over them anyway, so I'm not sure if it makes any difference in their regard.

 

[Aric Cylkowski]

I too am a newbie here, but I'm under the opinion that lightbars could be beneficial for spotter safety. Generally, I like to turn on my emergency lights when I'm pulled off (seeing as amber-colored lightbars aren't exactly legal for spotting). I may change my mind if I move out of state or I see an urgent need, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Also, the wig-wags scream law enforcement to me. I just can't see myself using them for storm spotting.

 

[David Drummond]

Originally posted by Aric Cylkowski

Also, the wig-wags scream law enforcement to me. I just can't see myself using them for storm spotting.

I agree with that. When those were designed and first came out, the were designed for the sole purpose of TRAFFIC CLEARING (i.e. in route to an emergency call, pursuit, etc where you need traffic to pull over and get out of the way). People WILL pull over for wig wag headlights. You can see them FAR FAR greater distance than you can any other kind/color flashing light. For what they were designed, they absolutely work great. As much as we sometimes would LIKE for some people to get out of our way, we don't have the right to request the right of way.

Another plus to having some sort of auxilary light as opposed to using your factory hazard lights. In every car I have ever seen, using your factory hazard lights precluded being able to use turn signals. When I took code 3 driving class back when I was on the dept, they told us to NOT use our hazard lights, but to run the aux. lights instead AND use our turn signals so people knew what our intentions were.

 

[Melissa Moon]

I can see maybe having one light only to be turned on in situations where it's hard to see, but then again, why not just use hazard lights in those kind of situations? They're amber, and they flash, so I don't see how any special light would be any better than the old fashioned hazards that each of us already have.

About vehicles that are plastered in stickers and dolled up in lights, I'm sorry if anyone finds this offensive, but I am not going to lie. The excessive light bar/decalled chase vehicles grate my nerves, and I personally think it's testosterone at its worst. I mean, if you want other people in the chase community to pay attention to you, then improve your skills so that you will have a better season. You won't need decals and snazzy lights to win respect (besides, I think the vanity of it actually does the opposite), and people will come to know you in due time through your skills and experience. Again, I hope not to offend anyone, but that is my opinion.

 

[David Schuttler]

Originally posted by David Drummond+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(David Drummond)</div>

<!--QuoteBegin-Aric Cylkowski

Also, the wig-wags scream law enforcement to me. I just can't see myself using them for storm spotting.

I agree with that. When those were designed and first came out, the were designed for the sole purpose of TRAFFIC CLEARING (i.e. in route to an emergency call, pursuit, etc where you need traffic to pull over and get out of the way). People WILL pull over for wig wag headlights. You can see them FAR FAR greater distance than you can any other kind/color flashing light. For what they were designed, they absolutely work great. As much as we sometimes would LIKE for some people to get out of our way, we don't have the right to request the right of way.

Another plus to having some sort of auxilary light as opposed to using your factory hazard lights. In every car I have ever seen, using your factory hazard lights precluded being able to use turn signals. When I took code 3 driving class back when I was on the dept, they told us to NOT use our hazard lights, but to run the aux. lights instead AND use our turn signals so people knew what our intentions were.[/b]

I would like to second that on the turn signal. Sunday night I had a couple instances on the 2 lane roads around Choctaw and Harrah areas with not being able to see a turn signal due to the lights they were using.(not to saying they did use them or try) when pulling off the road all of a sudden.
It is something to think about if your wanting to add lights

 

[Jordan Hacker]

Light bars do serve a purpose especially if you are going to be all over the road and to let any passer-by's including law eforcement that you are a "chaser" and do not require any assistance. I think that they shouldn't be turned on unless you are in one space for a while especially in crowded parts of highways.

 

[David Drummond]

I would add that many times in the past, I have had an opportunity by request of various agencies from State Police all the way down to the DOT to assist in blocking such things as flooded roadways, debris covered roads and yes even a traffic accident or two because of having the extra, Testosterone Lightbar ™ warning power.

I can respect your opinion Melissa, but why does testosterone have to do anything with it? I have seen female driven and manned chase cars with just as many lights on them? That thrown in there sorta fits with that thing that always seem to get thrown into these discussions that those that have them (be it lighting, equipment, antennas, or whathaveyou) are compensating for something they lack in some other male area. That would be equivalent to a male chaser saying some female chasers must be compensating for small chests because they like to drive big SUVs.

Let's take the word "lightbar" out and replace it with "Sony VX2100" and make the same statements. "Anyone chasing with a VX2100 is just looking for attention and trying to look important. No one needs a camera like that for chasing when you can get by with a plain 8mm camera instead." We could get silly with that.

I have said it many times, and I still say it. What's the big deal if someone what's to chase with a Hummer loaded with 10k worth of equipment they may or may not need, or they want to chase in a humble Honda Civic with nothing more than a roadmap.... so what? If that's what they like to do, and it gets them through the chase, more power to them. Their presence or lack thereof on any given storm isn't going to hinder or enhance the tornado production potential of said storm.

Everyone has a different style of doing things than everyone else does. If we didn't, we'd all be driving the same things, all end up on exactly the same roads and storms, with the same pictures taken with the same equipment, and MAN wouldn't we all just be a really BORING bunch of folks then?

I have chased in plain vehicles, with no equipment or antennas or markings on them in the past and always, ALWAYS, people and officials were CONSTANTLY stopping to check and make sure I was ok and not broke down or something when I was stopped watching a storm. Frankly, it got VERY annoying. Obviously, with a decked out and marked vehicle, while it does bring on it's own unique set of inquisitors, I don't have that other problem any more.