Sorry to be so blunt Midland Retty, but you are wrong. Like I said above, it is not a matter of a police superintendant or other giving permission, the legality of using blue lights is a matter of complying with the law.
For example, carrying a knife in public - sometimes it is legal, sometimes it is not. This isn't a matter of permission, it is a matter of law. Or shooting someone, usually illegal but permitted very occassionally in law.
No worries be as blunt as you like Chris
Im probably not explaining myself properly to be honest.
Here's where im coming from - so stay with me on this...
If I go and stick blue lights on my car now I'll be stopped by the police for obvious reasons. I cant have blue lights as a member of Joe Public. Its the law full stop.
A public service fire engine CAN use blue lights - its entitled to by law. Full stop.
Ive got no argument with that at all.
Let me throw something else into the mix. What happens with private ambulance services and fire brigades? Can they use blue lights on public highway? What about airport fire appliance responding to a crashed helicopter just off the airfield.... can they use blue lights off the airfield?
My point being that there are examples of vehicles or organisations which are not specifically covered under the Road Vehicle Lighting Regs.
You cant simply buy a white van - put the words "ambulance" on it and a blue light and then expect to be able to legally drive it can you? No - there are stipulations about what type of ambulances can have blue lights and what cant etc
As Ruffles points out the Lighting Regs dont cover retained firefighters. SO if a fire brigade decides to allow retained firefighters to use them, on what basis is it authorised / how is that made legal?
The original poster asked "Can i use blue lights"
I advised him to intially ask his Watch Manager to get it confirmed (ie W/Man contacts Brigade HQ and finds out what brigade procedures state)
Lets now go back to my statement about private ambulance services. Lets say they are contracted to give medical cover at say a sumer fetes. Like it or loathe it they're a medical service, and may need to rush people to hospital.
Can they use blue lights? Possibly not they may not be covered by the lighting regs. But is there a genuine reason they should use blue lights? Potentially yes.
(Dont get hung up about training to drive on blues and twos or insurance for blue light uses at this stage just accept the point im making).
So how do you argue your point that you need to use these blue lights for genuine emergency reasons - whats the mechanism in place to deal with that occurance?
I suggest the mechanism is wher you get special authorisation / permission or dispensation (call it what you like) from DoT or the Police
I suspect you might find is that there is provision in the lighting regs that specifically gives the authority to the police or DoT permission to grant / exempt local variations of the regs.
A friend of mine here in the Midlands had to seek authorisation to use blues and twos on his SAR ambulance in this manner from the local Police Traffic Superintendant. The superintendant agreed that there may be times he needs to use blue lights in the capacity of an ambulance.
So if my friend is ever stopped he now has a letter from the Police stating he can use blue lights, which will be presented to the police officer on being pulled over.
Who enforce's the road traffic regs and the lighting regs? - Generally its the police do of course, so can you now see where Im coming from? the enforcers wont prosecute if you have a letter from them sayings its ok to drive with blue lights.
Thats your permission or authorisation boys!
