Flashing and revolving beacons

What is a flashing or revolving beacon?

Beacons are lamps that emit a flashing or revolving beam of light for use in an emergency or to indicate a possible hazard on the road. They are usually positioned on the top or on the front of a vehicle.

Beacons can be red, blue, amber, purple, green or white. The colour of a beacon provides meaningful information to other road users, and can convey an obligation. For instance, if a vehicle has a flashing blue or red light other road users must make way for it.

There are strict rules controlling what vehicles may have flashing or revolving beacons and how they may be used.

Blue beacons

What vehicles may be fitted with blue beacons?

Blue beacons may be fitted on a vehicle used by an enforcement officer.

An enforcement officer is a sworn member of the NZ Police, but can be a non-sworn member of the NZ Police under certain conditions.

Official police vehicles can be permanently fitted with one or more blue beacons or a combination of blue, red and white beacons. Other vehicles used by the NZ Police can display a temporary blue beacon in an emergency.

When can a blue beacon be used?

Blue beacons may only be fitted on vehicles used by the NZ Police in the course of official duty.

What message does this convey to other road users?

Blue beacons warn other road users that an enforcement officer is on urgent duty. Other vehicles must make way for the vehicle and pull over and stop if signalled to do so.

Red and white beacons

What vehicles may be fitted with red and/or white beacons?

The following vehicles may be fitted with one or more red and/or white beacons:

• police patrol vehicles and police vehicles on emergency duty
• ambulance service vehicles
• New Zealand Fire Service vehicles attending emergencies
• Civil Defence vehicles attending emergencies
• vehicles used by the Naval or Military Police, or by the Air Security Branch of the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

Vehicles used as official vehicles by the above organisations can have permanent red and/or white beacons. Temporary red and/or white beacons can be displayed on other vehicles used by an officer of one of the above organisations if used in an emergency.

When can red and/or white beacons be used?

Red and/or white beacons may only be displayed when the vehicle is used by a driver of an emergency vehicle.

What message does this convey to other road users?

Red and/or white beacons warn other road users that a vehicle is travelling to an emergency. Other vehicles must make way for that vehicle.

Green beacons

What vehicles may be fitted with green beacons?

A motor vehicle operated by a registered medical practitioner, nurse or midwife may be fitted with one green beacon.

When can a green beacon be used?

A green beacon can only be used on a vehicle operated by a registered medical practitioner, nurse or midwife in a medical emergency.

What message does this convey to other road users?

Green beacons warn other road users that a vehicle is travelling to an emergency. Other vehicles must make way for that vehicle.

Purple beacons

What vehicles may be fitted with a purple beacon?

The pilot vehicle for an over-sized vehicle may be fitted with a purple beacon in accordance with the Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Dimensions and Mass 2002.

What message does this convey to other road users?

Purple beacons warn other road users that an over-sized vehicle is travelling behind the pilot vehicle and that they must make way for that vehicle.

Amber beacons

What vehicles may be fitted with an amber beacon?

The following motor vehicles may use amber beacons:

• a vehicle recovery service vehicle
• a vehicle operated in accordance with a traffic management plan approved by a road controlling authority
• a vehicle for which the use of the beacon is necessary to warn other road users of a hazard due to the presence of the vehicle
• a vehicle for which the use of the beacon is needed to warn other road users of a hazard where there are people carrying out a lawful activity on the road in the vicinity of the vehicle
• an over-sized vehicle or pilot vehicle for an over-sized vehicle in accordance with the Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Dimensions and Mass 2002.

The rule does not specify which other vehicles may use amber beacons. Other vehicle operators will need to decide if the work they do, or their vehicle’s design or function, creates a hazard that warrants an amber beacon. Other lamps such as hazard-warning lamps might be more appropriate in many cases.

When can an amber beacon be used?

An amber beacon can only be used where it is necessary to warn other road users of a hazard, and when the vehicle fitted with the amber beacon is stationary or being driven slowly.

What message does an amber beacon convey to other road users?

Amber beacons warn other road users of a hazard on the road. There is no obligation for road users to make way for a vehicle displaying an amber beacon, unless it is a pilot vehicle warning of the approach of an oversize vehicle.

Page created: 22 March 2005