Lightbars Are Much More Than What They Appear To Be

The name Lightbar sounds quite uncomplicated and simple

, but a police light bar is actually much more than a bar of light. Some of the police Lightbars are elaborate units, which contain within them myriad things like speakers, sirens, reflectors, and mirrors. The number of lights contained within a light bar may vary in different models. And besides its main lights, a light bar may have additional lights like takedown lights beneath it, and alley lights to the sides of it.

In all types of Lightbars the lights will be enclosed in a clear dome. The light colors are basically red, blue, amber, and clear lights. In a Lightbar that uses halogen technology, there will be differently colored lenses inside the dome to project colored lights, whereas in light bars that rely on LED lights, the colored lenses are dispensed with, since color is intrinsic to an LED bulb.

The most commonly noticed function of a Lightbar on a police vehicle is to demand other vehicles to clear the lane to let it pass. For this, the red light is flashed. Flashing of blue lights in a light bar indicates arrival. It could be an indication to the assembled crowd that the police vehicle is arriving. Or, it could be a communication by the police vehicle to the vehicle in front to pull over to the side.

Amber is a comparatively subdued color in a Lightbar. Amber remains active in the light bars of a police vehicle parked for controlling the crowd, or investigating a crime. Arrow sticks for traffic direction found at the rear side of some light bars are also amber in color. They flash in a specific sequence to guide the traffic to both sides.

Lightbars find modified uses to cater to different public requirements. Some police light bars are equipped even to rise up to 4' above the roof of the vehicle. The light bars are kept raised to warn other vehicles on the road of possible freeway collision. The control mechanism within the vehicle can raise and lower the Lightbar instantly by the touch of a button.

Though Lightbars are mostly mounted on the roof of the vehicle, it could be mounted at the back also. Light bars designed for mounting at the back of larger vehicles may have brake turn signals within it, or sometimes reverse backup light. Since larger vehicles block the vision of vehicles at its back, incorporating these functions in the tail Lightbar helps the vehicles following it.

Lightbars may be designed with increased or decreased light output for extra visibility or for stealth operations. Some light bars are equipped with rotating lights around to make it bursting bright, while low profile light bars are available for stealth operations. Stealth light bars typically hug the top of the vehicle to give a camouflage effect or may be covered to be less visible. Besides the available variations and configurations, all light bar manufacturers have provisions for customizing a Lightbar according to user requirements. Some users also make modifications in their Lightbars after purchase.

by: Sunil Punjabi

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