Chapter 8 is concerned with the protection of workers and vehicles which use public roads and high-speed roads. It affects businesses with fleets of vehicles and stipulates that business owners should ensure their vehicles have high visibility markings on the rear. This applies to vehicles which stop frequently on high-speed roads with a limit of 50mph and over.
This ‘Traffic Signs Manual’ which is issued by the Department for Transport and outlines the regulations in full, is casually referred to as ‘Chapter 8.’ The regulations apply to all vehicles, from cars to vans and trucks, regardless of whether these vehicles are owned or on hire.
Rear chevrons on vehicles will increase visibility
Rear chevron markings are designed to increase visibility and this is a very important safety aspect. These strips of yellow and red, called chevrons, should be at least 150mm wide, and fixed at an angle of 45-60°, in an upward position.
The regulations for chevron markings are split into three categories. Vehicles both under and over 7.5 tonnes, should display appropriate door edging. Vehicles in these categories which are used by maintenance teams can display the words ‘Highway Maintenance’ using non-reflective black on either non-reflective, reflective or retro-reflective yellow lettering. It is permissible to amend the word ‘highway’ to ‘motorway’ or ‘road’. Vehicles in the under 7.5 tonne category include cars and vans that stop on highways for maintenance purposes. Those heavier than 7.5 tonnes include gritters, tipping trucks, recovery vehicles and road sweepers.
Incident and mobile support unit chevrons
Chevrons recommended for incident and mobile support vehicles should be in fluorescent red and yellow-green microprismatic material, and side markings at an angle of 45° should be displayed. A range of manufacturers such as https://www.vehiclechevrons.com/ supply Chapter 8 chevrons, enabling your company to stay safely within the law.
According to Fleetworld road safety organisations are calling for a higher government focus on safety. Recent data shows there was a 6% fall in the number of casualties in reported road accidents in 2018. The number dropped to 160,597 from 170,993 a year ago.
If your business rents its vehicles, for example trucks, and your line of work requires that you must stop on a motorway or high-speed road, it is important to ensure that your vehicles are properly equipped with the necessary markings to comply with Chapter 8 regulations.