More police cars have lights on but not flashing. Here’s what it means and what you should do

Trooper Steve answers viewer questions

ORLANDO, Fla. – News 6 traffic safety expert Trooper Steve Montiero answers viewer questions and shares tips about the rules of the road, helping Central Florida residents become better drivers by being better educated.

On Monday, Trooper Steve fielded this question, “I’ve seen a lot of police cars recently driving with their lights on in a steady on position. What is this about and do I have to move out of the way?”

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Trooper Steve said as technology advances, so does the police car.

“Over the years, the version of police lights on vehicles have advanced from halogen lights to strobe lights to today’s LED style lights,” he said. “With that, the options that police officers have to control the lights have also advanced. The picture provided above gives a perfect example of what this question is addressing.”

Trooper Steve said lights on without flashing is called cruise mode for most police departments.

“It lights up the far corners of a light bar without any type of flash pattern,” he said. “Police officers will activate this while at a scene that is not overly active. This shows a law enforcement presence without the added flash patterns and unneeded attention. You can commonly find this in high-pedestrian areas. For example, we tend to see a lot of this in the International Drive area and the Disney Springs shopping area.”

[VIDEO BELOW: Trooper Steve explains when drivers must have their headlights on]

Trooper Steve said the lights could deter criminal activity because it shows the presence of police, and it allows a person to quickly identify law enforcement, if they need them.

“You can also commonly find this type of activation in residential areas while an officer is on routine patrol,” Trooper Steve said.

You do not need to yield right of way to a police car that has its lights activated in this fashion, but keep in mind, if the light pattern begins to flash and a siren is activated, that is when you would need to move out of the way.


About the Authors:

Steven Montiero, better known as “Trooper Steve," joined the News 6 morning team as its Traffic Safety Expert in October 2017. A Central Florida native and decorated combat veteran, Montiero comes to the station following an eight-year assignment with the Florida Highway Patrol.

Daniel started with WKMG-TV in 2000 and became the digital content manager in 2009. When he's not working on ClickOrlando.com, Daniel likes to head to the beach or find a sporting event nearby.