Warning Lamps
Emergency Priority
The colour of flashing lamps to be displayed, in an emergency, is determined by the type of emergency. Emergencies requiring flashing lamps have been classified into the following four categories:
- Priority One: Life and / or Serious, Property Threat Emergency
- Priority Two: High Risk Personal or Property Threat Emergency
- Priority Three: Statutory, Law Enforcement Emergency
- Priority Four: Potential Danger or Risk Emergency
The flashing lamp colour displayed is dependent upon the type of emergency that the vehicle is required to regularly attend. (See Page 12, Table 1. “Emergency Priority Categories” and Table 2 “Approved Warning Devices”)
Flashing Lamps
A flashing lamp displayed on a vehicle may only be amber/yellow, blue, white, red, green or magenta/ crimson. Each colour, or combination of colours, conveys a particular and individual type of warning to road users.
Also, flashing warning lamps must be visible in normal daylight from a distance of at least 500 metres to drivers of vehicles approaching from any direction.
More than one lamp may be used to enable this requirement to be met. The lamps should be mounted as near to the top of the vehicle as practicable.
The flashing lamp equipment shall have an audible or visible indicator mounted within the vehicle, to warn the driver that the lamp is operating.
To avoid distraction to the driver, a flashing lamp must not be fitted directly within the driver’s normal field of vision. Neither should the lamp be visible in the rear view mirrors.
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