REMOVAL OF ROOF-MOUNTED EMERGENCY LIGHTING FROM POLICE PATROL VEHICLES: AN EVALUATION

In 1982, based on a study of fuel use and accidents, the Illinois Department of Law Enforcement began a test of removing roof-mounted emergency lights from police patrol vehicles. This test consisted of 120 vehicles, one-half with and one-half without roof-mounted lights. The vehicles were issued in pairs to officers who had similar patrols in rural areas. After six months, fuel economy, accidents and productivity of the officers were compared. Significant improvements were found for those officers driving vehicles without roof-lights. More vehicles without roof-mounted lights were placed in service in early 1983. This study compares 208 vehicles with and without roof-mounted lights for a period from April 1982 through January 1984. The officers drove these vehicles more than five and one half million miles. Prior to obtaining these cars, all officers had similar driving records. The results show that those officers driving vehicles without roof-mounted lights obtained seven percent better fuel mileage, had 25 percent better productivity in speed enforcement (but not in enforcement overall), and were involved in 65 percent fewer accidents per million vehicle miles. All results are statistically significant. The findings suggest that removing roof-mounted lights from police vehicles that patrol rural areas reduces fuel and accident costs and improves productivity.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This report was prepared for the Transportation Research Board 1985 Annual Meeting.
• Corporate Authors:

  Illinois Department of Law Enforcement

  Administration Division, Bureau of Planning and Development
  Springfield, IL  United States 
• Authors:
  • Raub, R A
• Publication Date: 1984-11-19

Media Info

• Features: Tables;
• Pagination: 22 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash rates; Fuel conservation; Police vehicles; Productivity; Rural areas; Traffic law enforcement; Vehicle lighting systems
• Uncontrolled Terms: Removal
• Old TRIS Terms: Roof-mounted emergency lights
• Subject Areas: Energy; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00399036
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-038 239
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Aug 31 1985 12:00AM