Vehicle: Car: Law Enforcement: Police Car
Night Mode for Police Strobes   (+11)  [vote for, against]
Save Lives Don't Blind Drivers

Ever been driving on a deserted stretch of interetate late at night in the rain, only to pop over a hill and be instantly blinded by the Police Strobes of a pulled over Police Cruser. I don't know if there are any stats on the number of police and others killed by this, but I am sure it is high. My idea is simple..

Mount Blue and Red LED's inside the light rack and any where ellse on the car where strobes reside. Use a simular sensor mounted on the dash which turns headlights on at night. When the sensor sences reduced lighting from night or fog, instead of turning on headlights, it will change the emergency light mode to night. This will disable the strobes and enabled the 1 watt or so led flashers. If you have ever been behind a truck which uses LED brake lights, you will know that these are plenty bright to do the job, while not blinding everyone that passes by...

This idea is so simple, I have no idea why it is not in use...
-- dlapham, Jan 31 2006

Baked http://www.code3pse.../ss_c3autodim10.pdf
[dlapham, Dec 28 2012]

I have my doubts about emergency strobes presenting much danger of blindness. I've certainly confronted them many times and never thought that they were a hazard.

Nonetheless, sampling the ambient light levels and reducing strobe intensity isn't a bad idea.

<later> Actually, the newer LEDs probably pack enough luminous punch to take the place of strobe units altogether. If used as an array, every other lamp could be dropped out when ambient light levels are low.
-- bristolz, Jan 31 2006


Baked, See link....
-- dlapham, Dec 28 2012


// Baked// Switch title to something like Normative for Police Strobes.
-- piluso, Dec 28 2012



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