LIGHTBARS!!!

[Shawn Rutherford]

I'm not a big fan of excessive lighting... .a rear AMBER light bar is fine, something up front and on top, works as well... amber, amber, amber... let's not give LEO's a reason to talk to their superiors and then legislators, and then draw the wrong kind of attention.

To address the bobbleheads... I relay this story.

This past weekend, my wife and I decided to visit my Mom... we have 2 sons, and 3 foster children, including 2 babies.. one of which became hungry and rather loud about it. To travel with our entourage, we use two vehicles... I lead the two of us, and my wife signaled to pull over. For safely, I pull over on to the shoulder and then further into the grassy area beyond the shoulder. Mind you, we were not anywhere in the shoulder area which fit a full size vehicle... as we attended to our child, a van whipped by us within 3 feet, at highway speed (70)... we were both stunned... as it was travelling squarely in the shoulder... no other traffic.... just him and us... had he been 3 feet closer, he would have hit our doors and caused a mess... and this was, as many chasers can relate, in a VERY rural area of South Texas... 40 miles from ANY town, and further from a hospital. I didn't chase him down, I took care of the family, took a few deep breaths and wished I hadn't removed my amber LED arrowstik. I sold it and a few other "toys" when we became a foster home... I didn't think CPS would take kindly to me carting babies around in a chase vehicle... or even a vehicle that LOOKED like one.

The point of my story is this... on a seemingly quiet day, with ZERO traffic, my family was jeopardized by some idiot on a phone, in a work van, travelling in the shoulder.

The sad truth is that as perfectly nice people turn themselves into idiots with phones, ipods, etc., it becomes dangerous to not remain in the flow of traffic, so something that screams "don't f**king hit me!" becomes more necessary.

That's one extreme... the other extreme is for the fools that didn't get enough hugs from mom and dad and feel they need to light up their vehicles as if the Griswolds (National Lampoon's Vacation) were storm chasers.

Simply put, keep your lighting neatly in the middle, to what can be deemed necessary.

 

[Maggie Kahman]

I never had a lightbar, but I did have some light-up valve stem caps; you know, the ones that some kids put on their bikes? Well, I got to thinking, if they look cool on a bike, they would look really cool on a car! So thats what i did, I put them on my car. They flashed in 3 colors--red, white and blue. Although if i decide to do it again, i think maybe ill see what color choices i have; at last check, red, white and blue are emergency colors.

 

[John Erwin]

I never had a lightbar, but I did have some light-up valve stem caps; you know, the ones that some kids put on their bikes? Well, I got to thinking, if they look cool on a bike, they would look really cool on a car! So thats what i did, I put them on my car. They flashed in 3 colors--red, white and blue. Although if i decide to do it again, i think maybe ill see what color choices i have; at last check, red, white and blue are emergency colors.

From talking to a few LEO's on the subject the "bling" type lighting is more likely to draw their negative attention then somebody using amber lights while pulled over. Of course this might vary from place to place.

 

[david diehl]

On the talk of Green and clear lights.
In Indiana Green lights are for Paramedics.
clear is not for use on personal vehicles.

In the state of Michigan It is Illigal to run amber, Green, and clear lights unless you are in an Emergency vehicle.

I have a dash light in front and a home made light ban on the back of the van.
Usually the state police in Michigan gets pretty strict on things like that, even if they are not running, luckly I have not had any problems with that as of yet

 

[David Drummond]

I'm glad there is probably a ZERO chance I will ever be storm chasing in Michigan.

 

[Gerard Jebaily]

David you crack me up.

I have a code 3 420 beacon amber Light bar that covers the front 180 degrees of my vehicle. Since my weather station blocks the back 180 degrees of my vehicle i have 3 "Tir 3 compatible" LED lights. 2 on the outsides are amber and are syncronized as a pair. I have 1 white in the middle to use in "Extreme hazzard circumstances" Its very annoying so i use it sparingly. Light bars to me are nessesary safety equipment. Other chasers (for the most part) know how to handle cars pulled off to the side of the road. Approach with caution expecting a door to open, a person to appear, ect. And when pulled over in heavy precipitation, I DEFINATELY will want someone to notice me and not hit me. All the police videos of the vehicles getting rearended on the Interstate jus scare the be-jesus out of me.