RSS Feeds
Gadgets
Brando's Traffic Prompters Bring Out Your Inner Frank Drebin
Posted by Wilson Rothman at 10:30 AM on September 12, 2008
Brando's Traffic Prompters are cheap at US$16 per light and are meant to promote highway safety. You can even combine a red one with a blue atop your car to emphasise your state of emergency. Just don't be surprised when you're busted for impersonating a police officer.
The powerful magnets at the base of these presumably all-weather LED strobes can hold fast to "any metal surface," while D-cell batteries mean you don't have to plug them into your lighter jack. Still, even though the Prompters strobe rather than swirl, I'd be surprised if they weren't illegal in all 50 states.
When I turned to gadgets.brando.co.hk for a little guidance on this conundrum, all I got was, "Keep pedestrains or peoples on the surrounding of the Lights." [sic] Thanks, Brando—thanks a mil. [Brando via Red Ferret]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
MyPetFly
Posted 10:59 AM 12/9/08
I'd buy a red one to protrude from my fly. (Not my pet fly.)
MyPetFly
max_k
Posted 10:49 AM 12/9/08
Why isn't this USB powered!?
Actually, seriously, if I could get one of these with a USB jack and a simple way to toggle it on and off in software, I'd buy it for work. Stock market tanking? Turn the light on! A siren would be nice, too. :)
max_k
urbanturban666
Posted 10:42 AM 12/9/08
this is not going to workout...
urbanturban666
freddyg
Posted 11:37 AM 12/9/08
as far as i know, in Texas, neither red nor blue lights are legal if they are visible from the front... just put "ecnalubma" on your hood to be safe
freddyg
CubFan81
Posted 11:59 AM 12/9/08
My first speeding ticket was from a cop on the side of the road in a rusted mid '70s beater. I flew past and he whips out one of those lights and gets me. It still bugs me.
CubFan81
Some_F-in-ShiT_Ass
Posted 11:55 AM 12/9/08
CA it's illegal too, even the under car blue lights that are on all the cheap-ass hondas etc. lol but people use them anyway, but technically illegal.
Oh well..
Some_F-in-ShiT_Ass
AndrewJayPollack
Posted 12:30 PM 12/9/08
As a call responder firefighter -- which account for 86% of all USA firefighters -- I have a red led strobe on my dashboard. This would be a legal use for this light.
When the alarm page goes out, I pop in the car, flip the dash light on, and drive the mile to the station where I gear up and jump on the engine.
This is how fires are put out in most rural locations.
AndrewJayPollack
UTnick
Posted 12:44 PM 12/9/08
just buy 'em and stick on the back of you vehicle if you should ever be immoblilized. good safety precaution i would think. well, put 'em on the trunk lid i mean.
UTnick
hakka_lugi
Posted 1:20 PM 12/9/08
I do something similar on my bicycle w/ small red & blue led lights that use a 2032 battery. Flip the battery over to change from blinking to steady.
[www.adventurelights.com]
hakka_lugi
WildWon
Posted 1:08 PM 12/9/08
Thanks for the Police Squad reference, @wilson! I had a little chuckle :)
WildWon
DearEditor
Posted 2:24 PM 12/9/08
So the blue one's cool for Frank Drebbin, and the red one's cool for firefighters... Why not make a yellow one that's useful (and legal) for everybody else? I'd stick one to my mailbox after a storm so the plow don't smush it! I bet they'd run for weeks on 'D' cells; good safety tool for camping or boating... get Ron Popeil® on the phone!
DearEditor
appletag
Posted 9:46 PM 12/9/08
@DearEditor: Just Set It and Forget It!
In PA, volunteer firefighters can use blue on the way to an emergency. They must still obey all traffic laws. Chiefs and other (important?) personnel get red lights. I'm pretty sure they must obey all traffic laws too. It's cool to see how these guys customize their vehicles. Some install strobes in their head/reverse lights and have sirens. While it's easy to make fun of them I'm glad they're Gung-Ho.
appletag
kanon
Posted 9:59 PM 12/9/08
@freddyg: "I'm sorry officer, I didn't see my child's blue safety cup that they had accidentally dropped their toy strobe into on top of my car, even though it was on. Huh. Looks like the little bugger installed magnets to, so it would stick to the fridge. Kids, you know. They get smarter every year."
kanon
IchabodCrane
Posted 11:40 PM 12/9/08
-
Why oh why didn't I choose the blue light?
IchabodCrane
fastm3driver
Posted 2:53 AM 13/9/08
@max_k: Exact;y. Brando, you are slipping.
fastm3driver
Hitchcock
Posted 2:53 AM 13/9/08
@appletag: Wow, PA is probably one of the only states like this. Typically RED is for any emergency personnel, blue is reserved only for police. Its this way due to problems in the past with firefighters/city personnel/etc using the lights at night to pull over women drivers.
Hitchcock
Geisrud
Posted 3:24 AM 13/9/08
@AndrewJayPollack: @appletag: @Hitchcock:
Varies from one community to the next. My [fire] chief has specifically told everyone on our department that we may not use lights when responding to the fire station for a call - doing so is specifically again city ordinance. Furthermore, he has instructed the police to ticket anyone they see using lights or breaking speed limits / any traffic laws while responding to the stations when there is an alarm.
That's not to say you can't buy these or put them on your vehicle - we have a few people that bought and installed their own lightbar - but can't use them when responding...
Geisrud
latkadog
Posted 2:11 PM 15/9/08
In NY its red for police and fire chief (they get to run lights) but its blue for volunteer fire responders in personal vehicles (they dont get to run lights).
for some reason we also have green for volunteer fire personnel. And purple for funeral processions.
latkadog
kdlunn
Posted 10:53 AM 12/9/08
well in FL it is not illegal to incorporate lights like these on your car. What is illegal is using a audible siren. I have a friend who kitted his 240sx with more led lights than the squadcars have. He was pulled over and the officers called for way too much backup. All just to laugh that the kid had more lights than the lieutenant. No ticket issued.
kdlunn