Letters of the day (April 8): Emergency lights

Updated: April 7, 2011 - 9:22 PM

hide

Photo: David Joles, DML - Star Tribune

Camera Star Tribune photo galleries

Camera view larger

resize text
print
buy reprints

Tweet
share

email
Email share

your name

your email

recipients email

+ add a comment add a comment

Bright emergency lights: Counterintuitively, less safe

I'm glad that Minnesota state trooper Brian Bammert is OK after being hit in his car several times in recent years while parked along the road ("State trooper has been hit, hit, hit," April 6).

I hope that all emergency responders heed the advice of several studies that have demonstrated that using more and brighter multicolored lights at a scene actually increases accidents.

Illinois State Police and California Highway Patrol studies (with input from our own University of Minnesota) have shown the collision rate for emergency vehicles displaying full lights while parked next to the highway is two and a half times higher than for nonemergency vehicles.

Illinois removed the light bars from half of its cars in the study and experienced a 65 percent reduction in accidents. In contrast to red and white flashing lights, amber lights send a very specific message: danger, caution, stay away.

BRAD STOKES, MINNEAPOLIS

• • •

Once a driver notices an emergency vehicle, it is important to closely examine its position, the rapidly changing distance, the speed of the driver's own vehicle, and the surrounding traffic and pedestrian conditions.

Excessively bright emergency lights cause the pupils to contract and force the driver to look away. Contracted pupils also make surrounding traffic details dimmer and more difficult to evaluate.

Excessively bright and distracting emergency lights limit the vision of an oncoming driver at the precise instant when he or she needs to focus.

GARY MCQUILKIN, PLYMOUTH

* * *

To offer an opinion considered for publication as a letter to the editor, please fill out this form. Follow us on Twitter @StribOpinion and Facebook at facebook.com/StribOpinion.

get related content delivered to your inbox

manage my email subscriptions

resize text
print
buy reprints

Tweet
share

email
Email share

your name

your email

recipients email

+ add a comment add a comment

about opinion
The Opinion section is produced by the Editorial Department to foster discussion about key issues. The Editorial Board represents the institutional voice of the Star Tribune and operates independently of the newsroom.
Submit a letter or commentary