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Blue Light Use
We are often asked where people stand on fitting blue, green or amber lights to their vehicles. Many people find the regulations difficult to read and interpret and are unsure about the use of lights on their vehicles. Because of this, we have put together a summary of the regulations in straightforward English.

What counts as an emergency vehicle?

An emergency vehicle is classed as a vehicle used:

for police purposes (but not necessarily a police vehicle, e.g. search and rescue)
for firefighting purposes (but not necessarily a fire brigade vehicle) including local councils and the Forestry Commission as well as fire salvage work
for ambulance purposes (but not necessarily an ambulance vehicle, e.g. cave rescue) including the movement of sick, injured or disabled people and for moving human organs
for bomb disposal
for nuclear accidents
for mountain rescue
by the Royal Air Force Armament Support Unit
by the National Blood Service
by HM Coastguard
for mine rescue
by the RNLI for launching lifeboats
by HM Revenue and Customs for serious crime
by the military special forces (e.g. the SAS) for a national security emergency

References
Main definitions: The Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 Part I (2)(2)
Adding HMRC: The Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations 2005 Section (3)(3)(h)
Adding Special Forces: The Road Traffic Exemptions (Special Forces) (Variation and Amendment) Regulations 2011 Section (4)
Adding all mountain rescue, not just RAF: The Road Vehicles Lighting and Goods Vehicles (Plating and Testing) (Amendment) Regulations 2009 Section (3)(b)

Use of Blue Lights

There is no authority that gives permission to use blue lights. Drivers and owners are simply required to operate their vehicles within the law.

Only emergency vehicles can be fitted with blue flashing lights, or anything that looks like a blue flashing light, whether working or not.

The only times when blue lights can be used are when responding to an emergency, at the scene of an emergency, when wanting to let people know you are there or wanting to let people know that there is a hazard on the road.

References
Fitting blue lights: The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 Part II Section 16
Use of blue lights: The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 Part II Section 27(3)(6) Download centrance drivers.

Sirens

Police, fire and ambulance vehicles are allowed to use a sirens or similar audible emergency warning devices. Other specifically mentioned permitted users are bomb disposal, blood service, coastguard, mine rescue, RAF mountain rescue and lifeboat launching vehicles. In 2005 the regulations were changed to allow the Ministry of Defence’s nuclear response team and Revenue & Customs to use sirens too.

Emergency services can use the normal horn or the siren when stationary and at night, unlike the restrictions of a normal car horn.

Some devices that are similar to sirens are allowed on non-emergency vehicles. These include car alarms, reversing alarms and chimes on ice cream vans.

References
The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 (Part II F 37 and Part IV E 99)
The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2005

Blue Light Driver Training

There is no requirement for people driving emergency vehicles to be trained beyond a normal driving licence. Drivers of police, fire and ambulance vehicles who wish to be exempted from speed limits will be required to be officially trained. This rule has been included in a 2006 Act but it has not yet been made law. At present there is no indication as to when it will be made law. There are concerns that there will be too much demand for the existing driver training courses.

Reference
Road Safety Act 2006 Section 19

Mountain Rescue

Changes made in 2009 allowed mountain rescue vehicles to be officially classed as an emergency vehicle and use blue lights in their own right. Previously they operated as vehicles used for ambulance purposes and personnel carriers and control units were not permitted to use blue lights.

Mountain Rescue vehicles classed as ambulances (used mainly for transporting injured people) can operate as ambulances and have a range of exemptions from the rules of the road, including speed limits. Mountain Rescue vehicles used for non-ambulance purposes (such as personnel transportation, equipment supply or control unit) can use blue lights but do not have exemption from speed limits.

References
The Road Vehicles Lighting and Goods Vehicles (Plating and Testing) (Amendment) Regulations 2009 Section (3)(b)
The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use)(Amendment)(No.4) Regulations 2009

Battenburg Markings

Retro-reflective material applied to vehicles falls under the same rules as the lighting regulations. Blue reflective markings on the side of a vehicle are not permitted unless it is a police vehicle. Matt markings that are not reflective are allowed.

The colours allowed on the SIDE of vehicles are:

Police: blue, yellow, white, amber
Fire: red, yellow, amber
Ambulance: green, yellow, amber, white
DVSA (was VOSA): yellow, amber, silver, white
HETO (was HATO): yellow, amber, white

The colours allowed on the REAR of vehicles (chevron markings) are:

Police, Fire, Ambulance, DVSA (was VOSA) and HETO (was HATO): red, yellow and orange.

Reference
Explanatory Memorandum To The Road Vehicles Lighting And Goods Vehicle (Plating And Testing) (Amendment) Regulations 2009 And The Road Vehicles (Construction And Use)(Amendment)(No.4) Regulations 2009 Page 46

Cycles

The blue light regulations applying to emergency vehicles used to be just for motor vehicles. In 2005 the rules were changed to cover all vehicles, including cycles. This reflects the increased use of cycles to respond to emergency calls using blue lights and sirens particularly in the ambulance service.

Reference
The Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations 2005 Section 3(3)(A)

Abnormal Load Escort Vehicles

In 2005 a new class of vehicle was introduced called an Abnormal Load Escort Vehicle. Routine escort duties were previously performed by the police. The lighting regulations were changed to allow these escort vehicles to use amber flashing lights above 25 mph.

References
The Road Vehicles Lighting (Amendment) Regulations 2005 Section 3(2) and Section 8

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Exemptions from Road Signs

Police, fire and ambulance can exceed the speed limit if it would hinder progress. This includes ambulance rapid response units operated under the NHS.

Police, fire, ambulance, bomb disposal and blood service can drive through a red traffic light and disregard a keep left sign if it would hinder progress and can be done so without endangering anyone. A rule of thumb is that a red traffic light should be considered as a give way sign.

Police, fire and ambulance can stop on zig-zag lines at the side of the road but no exemption is given for cr

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