I have noticed for a while now that the likes of the A.A. and the R.A.C. whilst travelling with a recovered vehicle on the back ,seem to more often than not, still have their beacons on, why?.
Have they forgotten to switch them off or do they have to leave them on ?
Silly question i know , but i was wondering.
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to advise you not to drive round the back of them to save two seconds at junctions.
They like the noise the motor makes?
They like the power of the lights and wish they were blue?
They are chatting pretty customers up sat in cab with them and forgot they were on?
Health and safety regulations decree they should be on on a suspended tow
To show other broken down customers that they have already taken a fare paying customer on?
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Its christmas of course
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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I am sure I will be corrected if I'm wrong, but AFAIK it is illegal to have orange beacons lit on a moving vehicle above a certain speed, 25mph I think. The only exclusion to this rule that I am aware of is use by Gritters.
Cars on suspended tow / straight bar should be fitted with a lighting board connected to, and showing the registration number of the towing vehicle.
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According to the Road Vehicle Lighting Regs. 1989
Amber flashing lights can be used:
(i) at the scene of an emergency;
(ii) when it is necessary or desirable to warn persons of the presence of the vehicle; and
(iii) in the case of a breakdown vehicle, while it is being used in connection with, and in the immediate vicinity of, an accident or breakdown, or while it is being used to draw a broken-down vehicle.
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RVLR 1989 also says;
(2) No vehicle shall be fitted with a lamp which is capable of showing any light to the rear, other than a red light, except-
(l) amber light from a warning beacon fitted to:-
(iii) a breakdown vehicle;
(iv) a vehicle having a maximum speed not exceeding 25 mph or any trailer drawn by such a vehicle;
(ix) a vehicle used for escort purposes when travelling at a speed not exceeding 25 mph;
(xii) a vehicle used for the removal or immobilisation of vehicles in exercise of a statutory power or duty;
I knew I'd read something about 25mph, it's all a bit ambiguous if you ask me.
The AA advise their patrols as follows;
'Patrols should keep the beacons on whilst stationary at the breakdown and whilst building up speed to join the carriageway at which point they should switch them off.
With a lighting board attached the casualty vehicle is effectively a trailer.
Alternatively the patrol may take the decision for safety reasons to move the vehicle a short distance to a safe location using only the beacons to alert other road users.'
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I can understand that a recovery vehicle would want to warn other traffic while they are carrying out a tow or suspended tow. But I fail to see why a flat bed type recovery needs to have ARB's on, after all the vehicle is no larger or more hazardous than any other light lorry or even a car transporter. Having seen these vehicles travelling at 50-60 on main roads with their ARB's on I would say that it only causes confusion as most road users are expecting a slow moving vehicle and often change lanes accordingly and ultimately needlesssly.
Seems to fall foul of the modern mania to light anything up as brightly as possible as often as possible rather than as neccessary. Probably a partial result of our compensation culture whereby if you light everything nobody can have an excuse for not seeing it, in theory, anyway, and takes away the chance of someone making an incorrect risk assessment.
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I wish they would turn them off, when sat in the cab they are more often then not right at eye level and at night really do end up blinding you. Same as those mobile road work signs that are towed behind a transit on the motorway, those lights are right at eye level as well.
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And I wish there was two level of brightness - day and night. Some of the ones on roadwork vehicles are so bright and numerous after dark, they are a hindrance to safety as being both a distraction and hiding anything else that might be needed to be seen.
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When you see vehicles being towed, even by recovery companies , who you think would know better, they often(a) dont bother with a tailboard; (b)have one without a plate for the towing vehicle; or (c) have one with the index number for some other vehicle .It's one of the many things you see which are "minor" offences- if the police ever did go in for zero tolerance they would nick people within five minutes from the start of the shift
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Get your facts right before being so quick to criticise!
A. if it's safer NOT to fit one to get a vehicle moved out of the way, 10% of accidents happen on the hard shoulder etc. and the AA when I worked for them used to have countless patrols killed/injured a year, because of complete muppets running into them.
B. Very often number plate is on the headboard of the tow truck.
C. If registered to the smae Co. its OK or at least it used to be.
Jim
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I thought that amber was to warn other users of a slow moving vehicle or hazard? eg. things like the road sweepers have an amber light.
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