Know Why Police Lights are Red and Blue Instead of Just Red!

You might have seen police vehicles installed with red and blue light. Have you ever wondered why this combination is chosen? Can’t be there any other colour? Let us find out the answer in this article.

The aim of the police vehicle is to generate a sense of alertness among the people. These lights have a call to action which is to indicate people either slow down or stop. In nature, red is a warning color. We’re all programmed to respond when we see red colors— that’s why stop signs are red, for example. Red is a color of alertness, awareness, paying attention, and being cautious which are exactly the things police cars want people to do when they see a police light.

But, we see many colours on the road like white light of the headlamp of vehicle, yellow light of fog lamp and red light of the tail light. But we hardly see any blue light. So, in order to prevent the mixing of the red light of police vehicles with the tail light of other vehicles, additional light is added to make it stand out. As blue light is hardly present on roads, this light is chosen as an additional color.

Thus, a sense of urgency is created by red light, and to make it stand out, blue light is added. Also, it has been theorized that red lights are easier to see during the day, while blue lights are more likely to be visible at night. According to this theory, blue and red flashing lights are therefore adaptable and will be able to warn road users and pedestrians of a police vehicle’s presence regardless of the time of day. 

Finally, some experts believe using both red and blue lights eliminate problems associated with people who are colorblind. People who have trouble seeing red often have no trouble seeing blue. Using both red and blue lights thus helps to alert everyone, even those with colorblindness 

Although, the exact color of police lights varies by state, for the most part, red and blue are the norm. As mentioned above, red and blue flashing lights, when used with a police siren have a number of benefits that help to alert other road users of the presence of a police vehicle, which in turn makes the roads safer for everyone else to use.