A Note to Foreign LED Flashlight Makers -- Red & Blue Flash

DoctorMemory

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Seems like every one of these new lights I see with the color LED chips on the side does a Red & Blue flash. Some say it is for emergency use.

The problem is there is no valid use for it. A police officer wouldn't try and do any law enforcement with a little light. And for any of us non-police it is seriously illegal to flash red & blue. Cannot use it as an emergency maker. Cannot use it. Red & Yellow would be great. But Red & Blue have no use.
 
for any of us non-police it is seriously illegal to flash red & blue
I agree it is definitely illegal to use Red and Blue flashing lights On a Civilian Vehicle.

I have not found any info that clarifies whether Red and Blue flashing lights are also illegal for a Pedestrian, for example in a crosswalk or on a sidewalk. But my opinion is that it is a bad idea, because it impersonates a Police Officer.

Have you found any actual laws that clarify whether the prohibition against civilian vehicle use of Red and Blue flashing lights, also makes it illegal for a pedestrian?
 
Eh, for feeding the need of the road trolls, I guess. I don't even want to own a Red and Blue strobe. Red or Red and Yellow, sure, for emergency warning in case of an accident.

The colours are a bit different here in Norway. Fire use Red and Police use Blue, but neither does a mix of Red and Blue, at least not anymore.
With public workers and community service vehicles using Yellow. And even trying to impersonate a police officer with a pathetic little light is pointless. All emergency cars I have seen got so many lights on them, a single illegal strobe shouldn't even trick anyone, other than making the user look like a fool.

...That said, I do have a single pure Blue strobe for fun (haven't DARED try using it on the road - also, I have zero legit reason to use it). And I have a real one of those old, Red and Blue 80's police juice mixers sitting on a shelf for fun. Had it imported during a weird phase of my life.
 
Seems like every one of these new lights I see with the color LED chips on the side does a Red & Blue flash. Some say it is for emergency use.

The problem is there is no valid use for it. A police officer wouldn't try and do any law enforcement with a little light. And for any of us non-police it is seriously illegal to flash red & blue. Cannot use it as an emergency maker. Cannot use it. Red & Yellow would be great. But Red & Blue have no use.
Red and blue flashing lights are legal in car shows, private property, movies etc. Some ppl use them that way and know better not to use them elsewhere.

Even if it was legal on a pedestrian in public, it probably wouldn't be for long if everyone started using them that way. It most certainly draws (unwanted?) attention to yourself. Why go there right? but silly ppl do what silly ppl do
 
Even amber can get you in trouble here. Technically you are supposed to have a commercial license plate if the light is permanently mounted.
Those LED road flares sold in Princess Auto have gotten people in trouble, they say orange on the box but the LED's are red. If you leave them on the ground you are okay, but if you place it on your vehicle ( so people can actually see it over other vehicles) you can get a ticket. Its rare but it is at the officers discretion if they want to enforce it.

There are way too many stupid laws in Canada that leaves to much discretion to the officers interpretations.
 
Makes me think of this scene from the movie "Canadian Bacon."
I think that was meant to be more of a shot at Quebec than Canada itself. As far as I am concerned you Americans can have Quebec. Actually Trump doesn't drop the tariffs I say Canada should threaten to give Quebec to The US as punishment.
 
it's just asking for legal trouble
I agree

fwiw, Anduril lights support police strobe, and Anduril is designed in California, by a woman that is also a DJ..

my guess is Red and Blue Strobes may be popular among the Disco and Raver communities in the Bay Area.

I personally have no plans to Disco or Rave..

as far as the Law, impersonating a Police Officer is illegal, and using Red or Blue lights on Civilian Vehicles is also illegal.

But I believe it is not illegal to use Red and Blue strobes off vehicles, and on private property such as in a Club..

otoh, Im not sure it is legal for a pedestrian to use Red and Blue Strobes while in a crosswalk on a public road. Not sure about on a sidewalk.
 
I agree

fwiw, Anduril lights support police strobe, and Anduril is designed in California, by a woman that is also a DJ..

my guess is Red and Blue Strobes may be popular among the Disco and Raver communities in the Bay Area.

I personally have no plans to Disco or Rave..

as far as the Law, impersonating a Police Officer is illegal, and using Red or Blue lights on Civilian Vehicles is also illegal.

But I believe it is not illegal to use Red and Blue strobes off vehicles, and on private property such as in a Club..

otoh, Im not sure it is legal for a pedestrian to use Red and Blue Strobes while in a crosswalk on a public road. Not sure about on a sidewalk.

I think what it might boil down to is whether or not your use of the lights leads to someone thinking you're a cop. Inside your own home or a club, probably unlikely. Outside/in public among other people and vehicles is where the potential for problems exists. For example with a pedestrian using it on a sidewalk, a vehicle could see it and instinctively pull over, realize it's just some person, not a cop and report them to the police. From there it's kind of up to the officer to decide whether to scold and warn, take away the light or give charges. Seems a little unlikely, but stranger things have happened.
 
I agree it is definitely illegal to use Red and Blue flashing lights On a Civilian Vehicle.

I have not found any info that clarifies whether Red and Blue flashing lights are also illegal for a Pedestrian, for example in a crosswalk or on a sidewalk. But my opinion is that it is a bad idea, because it impersonates a Police Officer.

Have you found any actual laws that clarify whether the prohibition against civilian vehicle use of Red and Blue flashing lights, also makes it illegal for a pedestrian?
It all ways comes down to intentions. You can wear a hat that says police -- just as long as you don't use it to pretend to be a cop. The vehicle code doesn't apply to you unless you have a VIN plate stapled somewhere. :cool:
 
Even amber can get you in trouble here. Technically you are supposed to have a commercial license plate if the light is permanently mounted.
Those LED road flares sold in Princess Auto have gotten people in trouble, they say orange on the box but the LED's are red. If you leave them on the ground you are okay, but if you place it on your vehicle ( so people can actually see it over other vehicles) you can get a ticket. Its rare but it is at the officers discretion if they want to enforce it.

There are way too many stupid laws in Canada that leaves to much discretion to the officers interpretations.
Ohio says you can have any color light you want on your vehicle, but it must not flash. Any color flashing, illegal -- with an exception for turn indicators and brake lights.
 
But I am not in Ohio or even the US for that matter. Different locations have different laws. Here even having the word police on your clothing can get you in trouble if it appears to be official like on a black or blue baseball cap. There was a group of airsoft player's here several years ago that all got charged because they had a police identifier crest on their plate carriers.
 
In the US, to be convicted of a crime, it has to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that you intended to commit the crime.

Simply flashing red or blue light does not prove intent of impersonating a LEO or Firefighter.
 
In the US, to be convicted of a crime, it has to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that you intended to commit the crime.

Simply flashing red or blue light does not prove intent of impersonating a LEO or Firefighter.
You might get away with that sometimes, but ignorance of the law won't excuse you from it. It's too easy to just say "duh- I didn't know that" ...that won't fly LOL.

You can accidently run a red light unintentionally...you still ran the light and can get a ticket. Someone does have to witness you breaking a law in some cases a cop specifically has to witness it. Too easy to argue it didn't happen, or "I didn't do that, someone else did"

You can accidently run someone over, yep you ran them over. It's manslaughter. Intensions don't matter.

Intentions can play a part in how hard the court tries to press you. Accidental manslaughter is one situation.

A lot of states/cities have specific laws against 'blue lights' flashing or not. Others might not. Some apply them to any vehicle on public roads. Gas/electric motor driven, steam powered, self-powered, gravity or wind it doesn't matter. If it's on the road then they have to follow the laws/rules of the road.

Pedestrians are a different thing. I haven't seen nor heard anyone getting into trouble walking around with flashing red/blue lights on. Other than festivals, fairs, I can't think of any time I've seen a pedestrian wearing those sorts of lights in public. I personally wouldn't wear those in public but that's me.
I haven't found any laws prohibiting such activity.

I'm just thinking out loud, if it becomes a common thing a fad of sorts, then laws might be made or existing ones enforced to eliminate any confusion and for safety.
 
1.4 billion people in china, that´s where most of those foreign LED flashlight makers are actually from, don´t give a f%#k about the laws of about 340 million people from the US. 1.4 billion people from inda too. That´s already 2.8 billion. I have no clue about chinese law or how their police uses blue/red lights or not. Anyway, use your lights in accordance with the laws you have to abide. Problem solved ;-)
 
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I haven't found any laws prohibiting such activity.

I'm just thinking out loud, if it becomes a common thing a fad of sorts, then laws might be made or existing ones enforced to eliminate any confusion and for safety.
I think the problem is laws are often written so only a person with a legal degree can understand them. Even then it is up to a police officer and ultimately a judge to interpret them. And then of course there are federal, state or provincial and then municipal laws that can totally contradict one another. Some laws are written in other laws that you might never consider would apply but do.
 
On your point of fed, state, provincial, municipal laws contradicting, that usually gets sorted with the first lawsuit. New laws have to be tested ...they'll get sorted.

Federal laws generally deal with the Constitution, multi-state commerce, or they can set a baseline for the states to work from that point etc.
If states aren't getting along then the Feds come in and start kicking sand around until everyone plays nice in the sandbox.

Each state will set the expectations via laws on how the public is to conduct themselves when in public in their state. Sometimes privately also but that is a rabbit hole...
Then the state will delegate certain laws to local govs. Local govs will make the laws and then enforce them.

Each entity decides when and how they want to enforce any laws under their jurisdiction.

That's a bit over simplified obviously. Courts have and do see cases where laws are disputed, jurisdiction is questioned or enforcement mishandled.

The feds don't regulate lights other than headlights, turn signals, brake lights. Basically common safety on public roads. The feds say I can have a blue light bar on the roof of my big rig.
States however have been given by the feds, authority to regulate red/blue lights flashing or not. It might be OK in one state to have blue light on my big rig, but not in another. I would need to know that or risk getting pulled over/ticketed.

Local counties and cities might be given further authority by the state they're in to regulate red/blue lights even further in their jurisdiction. It might be legal to have said blue lights on my rig anywhere BUT in a certain city or county of a state that would otherwise not care.

That can seem contradictory but boils down who has the authority to make, enforce any given law.

As for pedestrians with those lights, I haven't seen anything about it. But me being ignorant won't excuse me if there is a law regulating it and I get stopped/ticketed.

In the end this is all moot - I have flashing lights on my desk ;^)
 
...You can accidently run a red light unintentionally...you still ran the light and can get a ticket. Someone does have to witness you breaking a law in some cases a cop specifically has to witness it. Too easy to argue it didn't happen, or "I didn't do that, someone else did"...
That's not a crime, it is a civil infraction.

Manslaughter is special in that respect, but we were talking about flashing red and blue light crimes.

...Pedestrians are a different thing. I haven't seen nor heard anyone getting into trouble walking around with flashing red/blue lights on. Other than festivals, fairs, I can't think of any time I've seen a pedestrian wearing those sorts of lights in public. I personally wouldn't wear those in public but that's me.
I haven't found any laws prohibiting such activity.
Agreed.
 

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