157dB

If you cant read I cant help ya.
Like leading a horse to water
ond its neck is broke...

An overview of a typical scenario is as follows:

A fire truck is dispatched to an emergency.

The fire truck is equipped with multiple emergency warning lights and a siren… The fire truck is also equipped with a preemption transmitter, which, in operation, is a high intensity forward-facing strobe light that is flashing at a rapid rate - much faster than normal attention-getting lights on the fire truck.

When the fire truck approaches within 1,800 feet (line-of-sight) of a preemption-equipped traffic signal controlled intersection, the preemption detector (normally mounted on the cross-arm that suspends the traffic signal) "sees" the fire truck’s preemption transmitter and locks onto its flashing strobe.

Once the traffic signal "sees" the fire truck, it begins to initiate a "preemption sequence" of the actual traffic signal that is different from normal operation.

If the fire truck already has a green light, the light will remain green. Any other direction that also has a green light (usually the opposite direction) will first get a yellow light, then red.

When all of the other directions are then red, and the fire truck’s direction is the only one that is green, the left turn arrow will illuminate (if one exists), and a brilliant white flood lamp mounted near the traffic signal will begin to flash. This flood lamp tells the driver of the fire truck that he now has control of the intersection, and complete right-of-way.

If the fire truck has a red light, any other direction that has a green light will transition to yellow, then red. When all the directions (including the fire truck’s) are red, the traffic signal facing the fire truck will then turn green, along with the left turn arrow (if one exists), and the brilliant white flood lamp will begin to flash.

Once the fire truck has passed through the intersection, optical communication with the preemption detector (on the traffic signal) is lost. At that time the traffic signal will default back to normal operation. Conversely, until the fire truck passes through the intersection, it will have a green light, regardless of the time duration.

If several intersections are within the 1,800 foot range of the fire truck’s preemption transmitter, they will all respond accordingly to the above operational description.

Fred Malibu

Thats cool for firetrucks!

I have a feeling that the one time I decide to strobe an intersection, it will be the one with >1 law enforcement division present.. Murphy's Law.

And that is why I will not be MIRTing anytime soon.

Never seen it done before either, I'll try and look for it next time.

Joshspony

I've read stuff about using a universal tv remote. if you can set it to the proper "brand code" hit channel 911. The stuff I've read says you have to be close. Like stop at a light, then do it. There are actually lots of "so-called" tricks to change the light when you want it to. Motorcycle riders usually know some of the tricks. Like earth magnets on your boots or the bottom of your vehicle.

Many lights are controled by loop detectors in the ground. We use them at my work also. Stop your car directly over the loop cut in the pavement and the light may change sooner or give you a green turn arrow. Ours at work will pick up a steel shovel, metal clipboard, hand cart (dolly) waved over the loop.

157dB

I have the loop detectors surplus from municipalities that have gone to
video camera vehicle presence detection.

They are super cool installed at homes with long driveways.

Magnets have no effect on them.
They are basically big metal detectors.
Properly adjusted, a motorcycle has no
problem setting them off.
Most towns scrimp on the amount of loops of wire
in the detection coils in the pavement and that
is the basic cause of motorcycle non-detection.

I have installed and worked on many of the different
models of loop detection....