Published on Saturday, March 18, 2006
in the Stuart News

Emergency workers swear by new light bars

STUART — Deputy Daniel D'Agostino wants to be seen when he hits the streets with the anti-crime Tactical Unit.

So he was one of the first at the Martin County Sheriff's Office to deploy a high-tech light bar on top of his patrol car that burns brighter than older models.

After months of traffic stops in high-crime neighborhoods, he and other area deputies and police officers swear by the light-emitting diodes — known as LEDs — that they say provide greater safety, a big advantage being that they are much easier to see in daylight.

Spurred by the success of Florida Highway Patrol troopers who began using the LED lights last year, agencies in Martin and St. Lucie counties have all recently begun outfitting new emergency vehicles with the system.

Motorists on D'Agostino's patrol are "most definitely getting out of the way quicker because of the visibility," he said. "Especially at night when they drive by, they're overwhelmed."

Martin deputies have deployed about a dozen LED light bars so far and have ordered 10 more.

Both police and rescue crews say the brightness of the LEDs allows motorists to see them earlier so they can slow down and get out of the way faster. The LEDs also last longer and don't have moving parts that need replacement like the old units, officials said.

"You want the motorist to pick up the fact the emergency vehicle is doing business as far down the road as possible," FHP spokesman Lt. Tim Frith said. "The troopers are really happy. They really light up the place."

Frith said the FHP was the local pioneer of the system.

A light sensor makes the LEDs red in the day and blue at night. A university visibility study concluded red shows up better in daylight and blue at night, Frith said.

He said agencies across South Florida began calling to inquire about the lights after seeing troopers at crash scenes.

"One of the easiest reasons why we went over to it was the price was comparable to the light bars we were using," Stuart police Lt. Tom Harmer said. "It is especially more effective in the day time."

Stuart police have so far fielded 13 LED light bars: One was donated for their D.A.R.E van, one cost about $1,300 and the other 11 cost $1,248 each.

Martin County Fire-Rescue and officials with St. Lucie County and Port St. Lucie law enforcement are also upgrading to LEDs.

"I think that they are helpful to the deputies," St. Lucie County sheriff's Chief Deputy Garry Wilson said. "And they provide a safer working area when the lights are on where they're out there working at an accident scene or out on traffic stops."

Illuminating information

• The new light bars are so close to the roof of the patrol car they're hard to see in a rear view mirror, possibly allowing officers to sneak up on speeders. But cops say they mostly use radar and rarely "pace" speeders anymore.
• Red is more visible in daylight. Blue is more visible at night, according to a university study. Florida Highway Patrol troopers switch colors according to time of day.
• Police lore has it that drunk drivers can be drawn to the older pulsating strobe lights, leading them to crash into the back of stopped patrol cars.
• The movement of electrons in a semiconductor material illuminates LEDs.