TRL commissioned to develop national Blue Light standard for UK police vehicles

TRL, the UK’s global centre for transport research and innovation, has been commissioned by the Metropolitan Police on behalf of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), to develop a new national Fleet Blue Light Standard for emergency vehicle lighting across UK policing.

The project will establish a consistent, evidence-based approach to blue light configurations used on all marked police vehicles, including motorcycles, cars, vans and HGVs. It will cover a wide range of operational scenarios such as response and pursuit driving, as well as at-scene deployments, and will be designed to perform effectively in both daytime and nighttime conditions across urban and rural environments.

Currently, all 43 police forces across the UK operate their own individual lighting designs and setups. This variation creates inconsistency and introduces potential safety risks for officers and the public. The new standard aims to address this by delivering an evidence-based approach grounded in operational realities.

The development of a unified standard will support officer and public safety, create greater consistency across UK policing, and strengthen cross-service working and interoperability, while addressing the current absence of a formal national standard.

Jason Powell, Director of Fleet Services Metropolitan Police Service & NPCC portfolio Lead said: “This is the first time UK policing has developed a nationally coordinated, evidence-based standard for blue light warning systems, which are critical to keeping officers and the public safe. It brings together lessons learned and best practice from across forces to establish a clear, consistent national approach for one of the most safety critical aspects of police vehicles.

By working with TRL, we are setting a clear national benchmark that is grounded in research and real operational experience. This work sits within the wider NPCC Police Vehicle Standardisation Programme, helping to bring greater consistency and assurance across the police fleet, while ensuring standards remain practical, proportionate, and able to adapt to future technology and policing needs.”

Ianto Guy, Principal Consultant at TRL, said: "This project represents an important step towards improving safety and consistency across UK policing. By developing a national standard based on robust evidence and real-world operational needs, we can help ensure that emergency vehicle lighting is as effective as possible in supporting officers and protecting the public in a wide range of environments and scenarios. This work builds on TRL’s extensive experience supporting police forces across the UK, including the development of the national police fleet technical standard, which helps forces manage their fleets effectively throughout the entire vehicle lifecycle." 

TRL will work closely with the NPCC and policing stakeholders throughout the project to ensure the standard reflects frontline requirements and supports modern policing demands.