Police lights are important than sirens

A police light is an innocuous looking thing. Simple models of it will look like an ordinary torchlight that any layman may carry. But simple models of a police light are rare these days. Most models are complicated ones packing within it myriad capabilities. Some are crime-solving aids important in evidence management.


There are a variety of police lights in use today. Some may be flashing lights of different colors, usually red, blue and white that rotate atop the vehicle. Others may flash in an intermittent pattern and be accompanied by a loud, piercing siren. The siren is purposely very loud, and can be heard as a steady wail, or in short bursts. As soon as the police lights are switched on, the siren will give a short, loud burst of sound. If nothing else, it certainly gets your attention, especially if you are driving along and paying no attention to what is going on around you. Some drivers become so focused on the road ahead that they are unaware of any potential hazards.

When a vehicle is being run in an emergency mode, both police lights and sirens are of equal importance. However, on an overall perspective, sirens are less important than lights. Police lights are necessary for a wide variety of jobs like chasing criminals, stopping other vehicles, traffic guidance, lighting up alleys, and stealth operations. For each of these operations, lights of different intensities and colors are used. For stealth operations, the lights are placed in a concealed manner and its activation is controlled. As against this, sirens are not required for all types of operations.

Rules regarding siren sounds are also not as stringent as rules regarding the police light, and a siren can be fixed anywhere on an emergency vehicle. Still, some states have rules regarding the type of sirens that different types of vehicles should use on a highway. Users should also ensure that the sound controlling mechanism of the siren is always at its functional best. Otherwise there could be noise pollution inside the vehicle.