Emergency warning lights are among the most recognizable tools used by police, fire, EMS, and other emergency responders, but are they always making responders safer? This engaging and evidence-based presentation examines the science behind emergency lighting and its role in alerting motorists, informing road users, and managing traffic around emergency scenes.
Attendees will explore the factors that influence visibility and safety, including light intensity, flash rate, color, waveform, mounting location, vehicle markings, retro reflectivity, and scene illumination.
Drawing on current standards, research, and field experience, this session will challenge conventional assumptions about emergency vehicle visibility and examine how lighting can both enhance and hinder safety. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of issues such as glare, visual overload, and driver distraction, while learning practical strategies for improving responder visibility without compromising roadway safety.
For EVOC instructors and emergency vehicle trainers, this presentation offers a unique opportunity to better understand how lighting influences driver perception, decision-making, and roadway risk. Attendees will leave with practical knowledge they can incorporate into driver training, collision reduction initiatives, fleet evaluations, and policy discussions, along with a better understanding of the questions agencies should be asking when evaluating emergency lighting systems and vehicle visibility packages.
Dr. John Bullough: Program Director
Light and Health Research Center
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Albany, NY
John Bullough is Program Director, Population Health Science and Policy, at the Light and Health Research Center, part of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. He earned his Ph.D. in multidisciplinary science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and his research over the past 35 years has focused on transportation safety, visibility, glare, human factors and circadian rhythms. John is a Fellow of the Illuminating Engineering Society, and has written or co-written more than 500 articles and technical publications on lighting.