Arrow Sticks - Do they work?

[RWC130 594]

ARROW STICKS

On the market for a while now are Halogen Arrow Sticks and newer LED Arrow Sticks.

I've noticed while driving on the roadway behind various types of Emergency Vehicles

Arrow Sticks ON, Both in motion and stopped.

I have to question... Do they really work for the intended purpose?

Yes, they are BRIGHT AMBER and I do SEE them however do everyday drivers really

follow the flash pattern of flashes to the Left or flashes to the Right?

Today's Police, Fire, and EMS vehicles have NUMEROUS flashing Red, Blue, White, and Amber Emergency Lights.

All I notice is a BIG BLURRRR of Colorful Lights.

Sometimes when you have too many Emergency Lights activated while at a scene it can cause DANGEROUS conditions.

"CARNIVAL EFFECT"

People SMASH into the rear of Police, Fire, EMS all too often on our roadways,

I don't see ANY impact with Arrow Sticks when ALL of your other Emergency Lights are activated.

If I see a DOT vehicle with an Arrow Stick or a Police car that is parked

with ONLY the Arrow Stick ON it's noticeable but with ALL the other

Emergency Lights activated it's all the same...FLASH, FLASH, FLASH!

IMO having an Arrow Stick for extra lighting to the rear is great, but as far as being used to

control traffic to "Keep Left" or "Keep Right" I think they are a waste of money.

Your thoughts?

[Guest]

the only ones i see effective are the big sticks that DOT has. the sticks that actually have arrows pointed in the direction in which they want you to go. i don't see any point in the arrow sticks w/o the actual arrow.

[lalautze 35]

I would say that a great deal of the general public does not recognize the arrowstick as a traffic direction/control device - that's what the big DOT arrow boards are for.

But they do add good visibility to the rear of the apparatus and all of our trucks with the exception of the ladder and pick-up have an arrowstick. We also do not overload our trucks with an excess of emergency lighting either as it just adds to the dazzle effect which confuses the general public plus it saves $$.

[EJS1810 7]

ARROW STICKS

Today's Police, Fire, and EMS vehicles have NUMEROUS flashing Red, Blue, White, and Amber Emergency Lights.

All I notice is a BIG BLURRRR of Colorful Lights.

Sometimes when you have too many Emergency Lights activated while at a scene it can cause DANGEROUS conditions.

"CARNIVAL EFFECT"

This is one of the problems I see with the arrow sticks. When we first put them on the rear of our Chiefs cars we had the Code 3 haolgen that you could set to flash or point to the left or right. The lights flashed in a slow enough pattern that you could follow them. When we got our two new cars with the LED lighting they flash so fast you cannot follow the pattern. When you see the large DOT signs they flash s l o w l y so you can understand the message.

The other problem is that people leave them on in the flash mode all the time. I see apparatus going down the road all the time with the Arrowstick flashing. Leave them off till the apparatus is parked then engage the light in the direction you want the traffic to g to.

[Guest]

The other problem is that people leave them on in the flash mode all the time. I see apparatus going down the road all the time with the Arrowstick flashing. Leave them off till the apparatus is parked then engage the light in the direction you want the traffic to g to.

I can’t agree more. The local VAC here has a policy of leaving them on ALL THE TIME. IMO this defeats the purpose of the lights and breeds complacency with the public because they become accustomed to seeing the lights on.

[joshlost818 6]

I belive there is a new law stating trucks over a certain weight have to have a flashing amber light in the rear at al times. I think. Correct me if Im wrong

[FFD941 20]

Sure if the ARROW stick actually had an arrow it may work. Otherwise it's just a big flashing light with patterns. So if you want my opinon it doesn't work

[biglew 3]

Amber is the first color in the spectrum that the human eye recognizes, it is a great asset for rear facing lightbars, usually a halogen lens that compliments the other led's or strobes.

As far as the arrow stick, I agree most sticks dont have the actual arrow, but I believe they still attract attention and that serves the purpose. I prefer them on the back deck of a police cruiser rather than under a lightbar on the roof. As far as FD application, I think even though everyone uses them all the time when they are responding, which is not the intent of traffic direction, the visibility of them are worth it bigtime. Lots of engine and trucks have limited lighting to the rear, a red halogen or strobe, the amber arrow stick imbedded in the rear is a plus.

[Guest]

I do think that the arrow sticks work, as long as they are placed in the correct spot. the back window on Police Cruisers or Chief's Vehicles are the most ideal spot for them instead of under a light bar or on the light bar. As far as Fire Trucks go we have a rescue and an engine with the arrow sticks and they work perfect for visibility at a scene but not so much for actually directing the traffic. They are good for visibility but there capabilities as far as directing traffic is very minimal due to there not being an actual arrow on the bar.

[efdny2003 16]

I've noticed with our engines and ladders, it seems to just offer a bit more warning that there's some type of emergency activity ahead, however with our ambulance, it does seem to direct traffice a little better. I've put it on at scenes where I have to be in a lane of traffic, (the closest one to the side of the road of course) and people move over to the next lane further down then if I didnt have it on.

[ajsbear 11]

I'm really begining to beleive most drivers out there are either blind or dumb. We had a kitchen fire tonight and on these dark roads we had the trucks partailly in the road. I ended up doing traffic around my rig. With my gear on, surviver light and a vest I directed a driver to stop. He almost ran me down. When I walked up to him he said he didn't see me. I had enough reflective striping and there were enough scene lights on the Rescue he had to be blind and no, the rear spots were off so they were not in his eyes. All the side and ground lights were on, the arrow stick was set to bear left. Flashing reds, whites etc.

[ny10570 745]

AJ, even without the spots on, there are enough lights on many rigs now where you become invisible standing next to them. The vest and striping on your bunkers should help that, but on such a dark road the drivers eyes have to adjust from pitch black to mid day sun. Were I not so careful about giving cops room to operate at traffic stops I would have killed one this morning. At 5:30 its still dark and he was standing off to the side of his cruiser with the red and blue disco show in full effect. I didn't see him till I would have been on top of him.

[NYRangers30 1]

we have an arrow stick on the back of our engine that is always on and when it is not being told to do something it is just making up some random pattern. no, they don't work for their intended purpose, but when the engine is on the side of the road it is useful for detouring and such

Edited April 2, 2008 by NYRangers30

[Guest]

We also have arrow sticks on our apparatus that some drivers drive with on all the time in the center pattern and then switch to the pattern needed. We also have apparatus that do not have the arrow sticks. I can’t say that I have noticed any difference when in an engine with or without the arrow sticks.

In my honest opinion it doesn’t matter how many lights, what color, and what technology they are, people just DO NOT pay attention. You would think a big red truck with or without lights would be enough of an attention getter for people to figure out that they need to change lanes but they still drive right up to the back of the truck and seemed surprised they must change lanes.

Although our safety measures in public service have gotten better, I think the general public has gotten lazier and more complacent. Everyone drives much faster and has more gadgets and gizmos to pay attention to instead of the roadway.

[joshlost818 6]

There is also the occation when an apparatus needs traffic to bear left they fail to attempt to turn it to bear left and keep it in the randdom pattern.

[DMM8240 2]

I don't think they work, I think AMBER lights are VERY effective, however I don't think people pay attention to the pattern of the light so much as the flashing lights and whats going on around them.

[efdny2003 16]

I don't think they work, I think AMBER lights are VERY effective, however I don't think people pay attention to the pattern of the light so much as the flashing lights and whats going on around them.

I think this is a good point. Amber lights in general are fairly effective in cautioning people that there is some type of activity ahead. However I think most people associate amber flashing lights with construction vehicles or tow trucks, and red, white, or blue flashing lights with emergency vehicles. I think that may be a big cause in people not necessarily paying attention to the amber light stick flashing left or right, because they may think its just road work, or a tow truck not an emergency vehicle be it an engine, police car, or ambulance.

[JRS2817 1]

if you have them going to the right or left people will follow it, the only time random would be good if your driving or on the side of the road not directing traffic.

[southendexpress 11]

the arrow stick on my rescue usually is on all the time, but is one the ones that have words scroll across, unless were at a scene, it always says "keep back 200 feet"

Edited April 3, 2008 by southendexpress