Emergency vehicle lighting is visible warning lights fitted to a vehicle for use when the driver wishes to convey to other road users the urgency of their journey, to provide additional warning of a hazard when stationary, or in the case of law enforcement as a means of signaling another driver to stop for interaction with an officer.
Warning lights may be dedicated emergency lights, such as a beacon or a light bar, or modified stock lighting, such as a wig-wag or hide-away light, and are additional to any standard lighting on the car as hazard lights. They are often used along with a siren (or occasionally sirens) to increase their effectiveness.
In many jurisdictions, using these lights may afford the user specific legal powers. It may place requirements on other road users to behave differently, such as compelling them to pull to the side of the road and yield right of way so the emergency vehicle may proceed through unimpeded. Laws regarding and restricting the use of these lights vary widely between jurisdictions.
In some areas, non-emergency vehicles (e.g., school buses) and semi-emergency vehicles (e.g., tow trucks) may be permitted to use similar lights. These non-and semi-emergency lights are also discussed here. Research into the usefulness and potential dangers of these lights is also presented. Emergency vehicle lighting is a subtype of emergency vehicle equipment.