Chevronshop issues safety marking advice
Vehicle markings specialist Chevronshop, a division of Bluelite Graphics, has highlighted the importance for operators of vans and work vehicles either stopping on or using the UK’s highways of compliance with livery guidelines as laid out by Chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs Manual, published by the Department for Transport (DfT).
Non-compliance with this guidance could leave fleet operators open to potential legal action should an accident happen involving one of their fleet, Chevronshop warns.
In addition, local authorities, highway, construction and maintenance companies have also adopted these guidelines when admitting vehicles onto their sites, the company points out – meaning failure to adhere to Chapter 8 can result in refused entry, downtime and disruption for those operating works vehicles.
Lorraine Avery, managing director of Bluelite Graphics, commented: “We work very closely with all of the emergency services and many fleet and commercial operators to ensure that the liveries and markings they use are compliant with the latest Chapter 8 guidelines.
“One of the key recommendations is that retroreflective material Class R3B should now be used on vehicles working on higher speed roads, and Class R2 should be used to meet minimum retroreflective requirements for under 40mph roads. Engineering grade materials are no longer recommended for works vehicles.”
The new guidelines are in place for all markings and livery supplied by Chevronshop, the firm says.
“All vehicles that stop or are operating on all speeds of road should bear rear markings with upward facing chevrons in red and yellow alternating stripes,” advises the company.
“Each chevron stripe should be no less than 150mm in width (larger on big vehicles) and angled upwards between 45 and 60 degrees. The red stripes must be of retroreflective material, designed to maximise night-time visibility and the fluorescent yellow stripes are non-reflective, providing good visibility during the daytime.”
Chevronshop says its high quality prismatic material returns maximum light back to drivers’ eyes, is resistant to water and dirt ingress, and is visible up to 140 metres in the dark. The business also provides vehicle templates online to help highway operators select the correct markings for their fleets.
