Tow trucks are considered semi-emergency vehicles and have regulations to that effect. The purpose of a tow truck is to move vehicles that break down or those involved in an accident. The regulations regarding their description involve the parts of the truck, as well as the lighting of the vehicle.
There are several reasons the regulations require vehicles to have a light bar for towing.
For Tow Trucks
Due to the nature of the work, tow trucks must be well-lit and very visible on the road when towing a vehicle. The lights should also be visible while a vehicle is being loaded. Even if a vehicle is damaged due to an accident, or illegally parked vehicles are being transported to the impound lot, the tow truck drivers are required to follow the strict guidelines of their work.
One of the required lighting equipment is in the “Tow Truck Light Requirements and the Move-Over Law”, which states that an emergency vehicle must have signal lamps that are mounted as high and as widely spaced laterally as possible. Another pertinent item on the law states that amber lights are allowed, but blue lights are not.
Illuminating and warning
Light bars are used on the emergency scene, as well as while towing vehicles. They provide illumination at the scene, while the vehicle is being loaded. It also warns other vehicles that the tow truck is carrying a heavy load. This helps keep other drivers and vehicles safe on the road.
The amber lights on the light bar also indicate a general warning. Although regulations say that the light bar is to be in use while the tow truck is loading or towing a vehicle, there is no provision that says it can’t be used when the tow truck is not doing any of those. It is up to the driver whether he wants to turn on the light bar while cruising down the road.