The Evolution of Police Lights

Police and emergency vehicles have almost always been equipped with some kind of visual warning devices to notify other traffic of their presence. Auxiliary lights are quite effective, with today's police models commonly visible up to a mile away. The goal in the evolution of police lights remains creating a visual warning by increasing FPM (flashes per minute); at the same time, drag on the vehicle must be kept to a minimum so that speed minimally affected. These objectives have prompted numerous designs over the years, a few of which are detailed on this page.

Since the time that police cars were first equipped with warning lights, there was not much change in the design - one or two red flashers (lights that simply blink on and off) would be mounted on the car's roof, and could be seen from the front and back of the vehicle. The problem with this design was of course, the limited visibility to other cars and people on the road. To solve this problem, the rotating beacon was adopted sometime in the 1950s; this provided 360º visibility and slightly more FPM. Due to the beacons resembling the domes on gumball machines, they gained the nickname "gumballs." These also started red in color (as seen below), with some police departments later using blue or amber rotators also.

In the 1970's, the design was further upgraded with the development of the roof-width lightbar. This was generally a rectangle-shaped device that spanned the entire roof of the car side-to-side.

The most popular color combination then and now was red and blue, separated by a housing in between for the siren/PA system. There have constantly been variations in the shape of light bars throughout the decades as they have become more rounded and aerodynamic; and the new millenium has been no exception to the development of more new designs.

Many of the first lightbars had only two actual rotating lights beneath the colored lenses (one on each side), relying on mirrors and blinking lights (flashers) to create the extra FPM. For the most part, the numbers have increased (two or three rotators on each side) and additional methods are used to further increases the FPM (diamond-shaped mirrors, varying motor speeds on each rotator). On modern designs of lightbars (covered in more detail below), this technology makes the flash combinations and frequencies endless. I realize that this is difficult to imagine...in fact, you may have no idea what I am talking about! Fear not, diagrams are coming soon!

The roof-mounted lightbar is still the most popular style in police cruisers today. A common brand/model of this style is the Code 3 MX-7000®. Along with the standard rotators on top, the bottom half of the bar can be stocked with other options such as side alley lights, front/rear flashers, front takedowns, and diagonal sweeping lights...to name a few! Code 3 also manufactures the ArrowStick®, which is pre-installed in most versions of the MX-7000. Its rear-facing amber lights (seen below) can flash randomly, or sequentially left or right to direct passing cars to one side during a traffic stop or other road hazard.

Beginning in the late 1980's, many emergency vehicles converted from halogen bulb lightbars to strobe light systems. In general, strobes can provide better night visibility and can also be programmed to a certain number of FPM (since they are run by a computer chip instead of mechanical motors turning reflectors) to provide maximum visibility. They continue to be popular today, working alongside their halogen counterparts. The picture below is that of an early 90's Ford Crown Victoria with a strobe light bar.

In the mid 1990's, Federal Signal® introduced the Vision® and Vector® lightbars (see below), both of which added a completely new design to the lightbar market. These lights can be seen on many modern police and emergency vehicles on the streets, as well as those in many movies and TV shows. The full-size Vector features seven seperate light pods in a V-shape (when viewed from above), modifying the traditional rectangle-shaped bar. Each pod independently houses a reflector, which may rotate or be stationary; in the model called the Smart Vector®, two of the seven pods can be programmed to act as flashers, side alley lights, and front takedown lights. The Vision® further computerizes operation, allowing all seven pods to be programmed in any combination of lighting activity. Additionally, the SignalMaster®, similar in design to the Code 3 ArrowStick, can be mounted rear-facing behind the "V" to increase versatility and function.

Another modern style of light bars now on the market are the Federal Signal Vista® series and the Code 360® series. They are a more oval-shaped light system, which is seemingly a mixture of the V-shaped Vector series and the older MX-7000 technology. Features similar to the MX-7000 (flashers, center/sweeps, Arrowstick) are displayed through these newest shape ideas. Overall, the Vista® is designed to produce multiple FPM when viewed from any angle. Additionally, it is becoming more common for police vehicles to use clear lenses on the lightbar itself, which allows multiple combinations of rotator colors to be used within. Below are pictures of Vista lightbars on a University of Illinois PD Interceptor, and an Illinois Secretary of State PD Impala.

Police and other emergency vehicles aren't always sporting their lights on the exterior... small halogen, strobe, and now LED light systems can be mounted on dashboards, sun visors, and even the front of rearview mirrors! Additionally, tiny strobe tubes called hide-a-ways can be installed anywhere internally, such as headlight/taillight bays and corner lamps. The Ford Interceptor below is a great example of a "stealth" police vehicle, sporting a little of everything internal!

And how could I go on for pages about emergency lights and not mention the vehicle that has it all... featured in the movie Ghostbusters II, the ECTO 1A made all us lightbar lovers out there proud (even the siren was cool). I think I actually shed a few tears when the garage door opened up and this emerged:

Of course, no webpage of mine would be complete without a few links to similar pages...

Lightbar Spotter's Guide - detailed descriptions of almost every make & model of lightbar out there. Great resource for the "beginner" lightbar enthusiast!

Things That Flash - a cleverly-titled online store that sells emergency lights and equipement.

I personally am impressed by the development and technology of police emergency lights. New styles provide maximum visibility to the front, back, and sides of the vehicles, keeping motorists safer...and it also looks awfully cool! I guess sometimes image is noticed, even with the police!