Can you use police strobe lights on private vehicles?

While driving down the city road or highways, you check your rear view mirror and notice blue or red flashing lights. Thinking that it may be an emergency vehicle, you move to the side, allowing them enough room to pass. However, as the car passes by, you notice it is not an emergency vehicle as you had imagined it to be. Instead, it turns out to be just a civilian car, with the police strobe lights on it.

You wonder to yourself, is that some VIP who passed you? Or was it just a random person with police strobe lights on their car, impersonating a police office or government official. Is it even legal to have these flashing lights on private vehicles? The short answer is no, police lights are not allowed on civilian cars, and the person who passed you, who was not a VIP or government official, was breaking the law.

Who can use emergency lights in India?

The Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, Rule no. 108, states that no private motor vehicles are allowed to use multi-coloured red, blue and white lights. These lights are reserved for use with specifically designated vehicles, such as emergency and disaster management personnel. Blue and red strobe lights can only be used on vehicles such as fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars. 

The rule also permitted the use of blue lights, with or without flashers, atop vehicles escorting high dignitaries, who are entitled to the use of red light. In case the designated person is not travelling in the vehicle, whether they are permitted to use the red or blue lights, the light must be covered by a black cover. 

Red light with flashers atop the vehicle is only permitted for the President, Prime Minister, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Cabinet Ministers of the Union, and Former President or Prime Ministers, etc. 

Additionally, red light without the flasher was permitted for Chief Election Commissioner, Comtroller & Auditor General of India, Deputy Chairman Rajya Sabha, Deputy Speaker Lok Sabha, Ministers of State of Union, Members of the Planning Commission, Attorney Journal of India, Cabinet Secretary etc

However, in May of 2017, the Government of India decided to ban the use of red beacons atop all VIP cars. The ban extended to top level officials and prohibited the use of these lights even for The President, Prime Minister, and The Chief Justice of India. They also decided to do away with the clause in the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, that gave the Centre and States the power to decide who should be allowed to display red beacons. 

The appeal of police strobe lights

Since strobe lights have historically represented status and power, they are desired by certain people. These lights often lead to increased road presence, and can lead to other people moving aside to let you pass. Since these lights are easily available at car accessories shops, or e-commerce platforms, people are tempted to use them on their vehicles. However, if you are caught by any personnel from the police department, including traffic police, the consequences of illegally using police strobe lights on your private vehicle can be severe.