Police car - no lights

[philbes]

Twice in the last couple of weeks, both times after 7pm so all cars running with dipped headlamps, I have seen 'battenberged' police Ford Focus estates (same car?) driving under 'blues & twos'. Nothing strange there except the Focus had no other lights showing - no headlights and not even front or rear side-lights. There were street lamps and the light from other cars' headlamps but even so - why no normal lights? Must have been obvious to the police driver that his lights weren't on (no dashboard illumination?).

[Hooli]

because they are muppets (that driver not general plod).
i've seen the same in the past & still dont understand how anyone can do more than 20-30ft without noticing the lack of dashlights or the glow of their lights on things in front of them.

[vonhosen]

philbes said:

Twice in the last couple of weeks, both times after 7pm so all cars running with dipped headlamps, I have seen 'battenberged' police Ford Focus estates (same car?) driving under 'blues & twos'. Nothing strange there except the Focus had no other lights showing - no headlights and not even front or rear side-lights. There were street lamps and the light from other cars' headlamps but even so - why no normal lights? Must have been obvious to the police driver that his lights weren't on (no dashboard illumination?).

Perhaps the wig wags (alternate flashing headlights) had fused.
They don't work with dipped headlights on, so if you wanted them on you'd turn the dipped headlights off.

[philbes]

vonhosen said:

philbes said:

Twice in the last couple of weeks, both times after 7pm so all cars running with dipped headlamps, I have seen 'battenberged' police Ford Focus estates (same car?) driving under 'blues & twos'. Nothing strange there except the Focus had no other lights showing - no headlights and not even front or rear side-lights. There were street lamps and the light from other cars' headlamps but even so - why no normal lights? Must have been obvious to the police driver that his lights weren't on (no dashboard illumination?).

Perhaps the wig wags (alternate flashing headlights) had fused.
They don't work with dipped headlights on, so if you wanted them on you'd turn the dipped headlights off.

Would be a reasonable explanation except that on neither occassion was the car showing any rear lights. Are 'standard' police cars, not 'traffic' vehicles, fitted with wig-wags?

[vonhosen]

philbes said:

vonhosen said:

philbes said:

Twice in the last couple of weeks, both times after 7pm so all cars running with dipped headlamps, I have seen 'battenberged' police Ford Focus estates (same car?) driving under 'blues & twos'. Nothing strange there except the Focus had no other lights showing - no headlights and not even front or rear side-lights. There were street lamps and the light from other cars' headlamps but even so - why no normal lights? Must have been obvious to the police driver that his lights weren't on (no dashboard illumination?).

Perhaps the wig wags (alternate flashing headlights) had fused.
They don't work with dipped headlights on, so if you wanted them on you'd turn the dipped headlights off.

Would be a reasonable explanation except that on neither occassion was the car showing any rear lights. Are 'standard' police cars, not 'traffic' vehicles, fitted with wig-wags?

Any car fitted with blue lights & two tones can be fitted with wig wags (marked or unmarked).
If they've turned of their lights for operation of the wig wags then their rear lights will be out.
Wig wags will work with position (side) lights.

[Medic-one]

vonhosen said:

Wig wags will work with position (side) lights.

Over here they don't. I can only use the wigwags with all normal lights off.

If i try to put wigwag on when normal lights are on it'll make a refusing BEEB BEEB sound but nothing will happen.

You will have to turn off all normal lights for it to work, but then, why would anyone want to do that ??
You won't have any tail lights or dashboard lights, and you'll be blinding all other roadusers.
That's the whole reason it's protected (it doesn't work with normal lights on), so when it's dark (and you've got your normal lights on) you can't turn it on and blind anyone.

Standard wigwag scheme :



Though they might vary (left, right, left right, both 2gether twice fast, left, right etc)

Edited by Medic-one on Tuesday 4th December 01:57

[Zod]

If the lights had fused, then surely the cars should not have been on the road.