TRANSQUIP COLOURED FLASHING LIGHTS FAQs BLOG:

Getting the light right

Flashing coloured lights are a well-understood signal to; pull-over, stop, or keep clear. They’re seen every day on our roads and our worksites – keeping us all safer and helping professionals, including first responders, get on with their jobs.

Richard Townsend from the TransQuip team takes us through what the different colours of flashing lights mean. And how, when, and where, to use them. He also answers some of the questions we get asked most often. Check out his video or read the blog below for more details and links.

What are the rules on coloured flashing lights?

The Road Code instructs us on how to treat each different colour flashing light. The main take away over all is to pay special attention to all vehicles with flashing lights and to respond appropriately.

Which colour means what?

Let’s break it down.

Firstly, red is for emergency vehicles – like ambulances and fire engines. Typically, these use red or red and white flashing lights.

Police use red and blue flashing lights.

Customs, fisheries and marine officers may use blue flashing lights.

Doctors, nurses, or midwives on urgent call-outs can use green flashing lights although you’ll see these much less frequently.

Amber is used mostly for non-emergency vehicles.

Tip: Check the Road Code to see what flashing light colours are “street legal”.

What is the most frequently used colour?

Hands-down it’s amber. (Also called yellow or orange.) Most of the non-emergency vehicles/equipment in New Zealand with flashing lights use amber.

Who uses amber lights?

Oversize vehicles and pilot vehicles for oversize vehicles or loads typically use amber and/or purple (magenta), depending on the size of the load.

Tow trucks and road working and road painting trucks use amber, along with a variety of vehicles and equipment on construction sites and mines. These alert other vehicles, road and site users, (or pedestrians), to take extra care or be prepared to stop, pull-over or get out of the vehicle’s path.

What are my flashing light options?

The most popular in New Zealand are bar lights, (Click here to find out more.) Followed by the traditional beacons (Click here to find out more.) There’s also a specialist combined backing beeper and flashing light for use mostly on forklifts. This is suited to construction sites, warehousing and in cool stores – not for on the road.

What should I check for?

New Zealand regulations require that flashing lights are radio interference-free for safety reasons.

All Sentinel lights are compliant with EMC or CISPR15 standards. This means the lights won’t interfere with the vehicle’s radio or RT causing “crackling” or even signal “dropouts” which would be unacceptable and, potentially dangerous.

What’re the advantages of bar lights?

LED micro bar lights (Click here to find out more.) Are very popular and do a brilliant job of increasing awareness and visibility of vehicles, risks, and hazards. Tough and long-lived, their low profile means drag is minimised, and they are less likely to get knocked by tree branches.

There’s also the option of temporary mounting or permanent mount – depending on your fleet and needs.

These lights are radio-interference free and they come in the most-used flashing light colours.

Suitable for cars, utes, trucks, heavy machinery, and equipment from forklifts to harvesters, an LED has significant advantages over halogen. They draw far less current and don’t get hot. You can safely leave the LED light going without having to idle a vehicle all the time to keep the battery charged. This saves fuel, emissions, and the battery, while providing a clearer, brighter light.

Why would I use a beacon light?

Using a beacon light, (Click here to find out more.)Rather than a bar light mostly comes down to personal preference. However beacons have a smaller footprint and a higher profile so can provide better visibility when mounted high on large vehicles and equipment.

On tractors, beacon lights – especially on poles – can be a great solution to bridging the divide between on-road and in paddock. When the pole is wired in and the beacon can be removed it’s a perfect solution to both situations. If the tractor is on the road, the beacon alerts traffic around it and when it is in the paddock, and no longer required, the beacon can be removed to avoid it being hit or snagged on branches or hedges.

NOTE: Bar lights and beacons typically meet the same standards and emit the same amount of light.

What is the backing light/bleeper?

This provides an alert to both hearing and sight, (Click here to find out more.)Giving another layer of safety as it alerts those two senses - you can see it and you can hear it.

The sound this beeper makes is the traditional beeping sound and it is 97 dB. The device can be fitted to 12V or 24V vehicles, is radio interference-free, and has waterproof to IP67 rating.

This unit has five modes, so you can wire it up to make it even smarter. The different modes are -

1 - Normal alarm and flashing as shown in the video

2 - Alarm only

3 - Flashing only

4 - Flashing only for night-time when the park lights are turned on

5 - Override of the fourth one for when both the park and fog lights are on, it'll do both the alarm and flashing.

Want to know more about flashing coloured lights?

Here are some website links with further information on the colours of flashing lights required on vehicles in New Zealand:

• https://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/rules/vehicle-lighting-2004/#x1

• https://www.drivingtests.co.nz/roadcode-questions/car/signs/what-colour-flashing-lights-does-a-pilot/

• https://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/roadcode/about-driving/receiving-signals

TransQuip has a wide range of Sentinel flashing lights including the colours: red, blue, white, green, purple and amber

And to learn more about bar lights,(click here. )

For more information on Sentinel flashing beacons, (click here. )

For information on the Sentinel reversing beeper with flashing light, (click here.)

Tip: Lighting for emergency vehicles started sometime in the 1940s with a single, rotating beacon on the vehicle’s roof. A big improvement on ringing bells or banging gongs to alert people there was an emergency vehicle coming!

TransQuip with our Sentinel range is a one-stop-shop for anything related to beacons and flashing lights for emergency services, civil construction, transportation, farms, ports, warehouses and other high traffic or high-risk workplaces. Call us today to discuss your needs.

Please note: This is not legal advice and while we try to keep abreast of our industries’ requirements, things can change.