Strobe Traffic Advisors?

[StonedChipmunk]

I was looking through the Whelen web site in search of things to do 3D models of for the heck of it when I spotted Whelen's 9M series lightbar. However, I looked at the feature list and it said that it can come equipped with a traffic advisor - strobe, halogen, or LED. Strobe TAs? How do these work, and have you seen them to prove they actually exist or is it a website error?

(I'll go ahead and model these. Pics to come shortly.)

[q2bman]

We have them here in Ft Worth Tx. They work well! The strobe pattern starts as a quad flash on the end of the bar and moves in one direction to the other end of the bar. Looks cool!

[StonedChipmunk]

But what I'm saying is... wouldn't it be ineffective until close up? Strobes that close together get somewhat blurred until closer distances... but I suppose with quad flash, it would probably work a bit better. (I still prefer LEDs.)

[Robert Gift]

Yes. I would be much more effective catching the unexpecting eye if all lit at the same instant.
But the pattern is more interesting.
I favor placing in a pattern when stopped.

[q2bman]

They only use the arrow when stopped. It is very effective at distances and close up. It realy does look good and it seems to work beter than the halogen arrows. Yes, LED is much more effecient at warning and at power consumption. I agree.

[JasonC]

I've seen these. They catch your attention but like StonedChipmunk said, you can't tell at a distance. I personally don't think "Arrow Stick's" work that well to begin with, as some studies have pointed out as well.

[Robert Gift]

Am I missing the "point"?
Is a Traffic Advisor to aim or guide traffic one way or the other?
(If so, my post above makes no sense. Sorry.)
I thought it was a lightbar model.

[Travis]

A trafic advisor is like an arrow stick...The lights flash in the direction you should move.

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[Robert Gift]

Thanks, kid. Good illustration.
As a volunteer firefighter, I would never use one.
If your device correctly directs a driver to the left, and the driver moves left and passes you on the left, and has an accident due to his own stupidity, he may claim, "He (you) sent me into that car!"
So better to only provide rear warning light, and not direct anyone anywhere.

[q2bman]

Oh here we go again. Law suit. No judge would find an emergency vehicle at an accident scene liable for someone eleses stupidity. The traffic arrow is not a lawfull order or a regulated street sign. Merely a sugested coarse of action for traffic to take. And besides, You can't tell over all the other lights what the heck they want you to do anyway. They are prety useless. The strobe look cool though. Like an airport runway. Pow pow pow pow left. I like it.