New EU legislation for reflective tape on vehicles
Date: 11-09-2009ECE104 Regulation Vehicle Safety Markings
If you are a truck driver or fleet manager you ought to be aware of new legislation coming into effect next month regarding reflective tape. The new legislation is coming into force on trucks and trailers first registered after 10 October 2009, and these will affect various aspects of goods vehicle operation. The major changes come as a result of the UK's Department for Transport (DfT) reluctantly having to adopt United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE) regulation 48. The reflective marking tape increases night time visibility and effectively reduces the chances of accidents.
Application of the markings:
Full contour marking partial contour marking
The Regulations, which don't apply retrospectively, cover trucks with a GVW exceeding 7,500kg and trailers exceeding 3,500kg, and can be separated into rear and side markings.
At the rear, unless the vehicle is a tractor unit or chassis-cab without a body, or is less than 2,100mm wide, it must display 'full contour' reflective tape that marks the vertical and horizontal edges of the body, The specification of the reflective tape is laid down in UN ECE regulation 104, but it must be between 50mm and 60mm wide and coloured yellow or red. It must be as close as practical to the body edge, but horizontal elements should cover at least 80% of the width of the body, except where it can be proven that this is impossible - this requirement can be reduced to 60%. There must be at least 200mm separation between the rear reflective markings and the mandatory stop light.
Where conspicuity tape is required, rear marker plates become optional, but if they are fitted, they must comply with the latest UN ECE 70.01 standard, which gives a better reflective performance than existing UN ECE 70.00. At the sides, the requirement is for 'partial contour' marking. This applies to vehicles and trailers exceeding 6,000mm in length, including the coupling length of drawbar trailers. It requires a single line of reflective tape, coloured yellow or white, to be applied along the lower edge of the body, as low as possible within the range of 250 to 1,500mm above ground, or up to 2,100mm above ground where technical conditions dictate, As with rear reflective tape, the line must cover at least 80% of the body or trailer length, or 60% if this is proven to be impossible, and must extend to within 600mm of the ends of the body or trailer. In addition, each upper corner of the body must be identified by two lengths of tape, minimum 250mm, at 90 degrees. In all cases, a dotted line may be used, provided that the gaps between blocks of reflective tape are no more the 50% of the length of the shortest block.
To summarise, any new vehicles registered on or after 10th Oct over 7.5 tonnes and trailers over 3.5 tonnes will need the conspicuity tape unles they are less than 2.1m wide. Reflective tape must be between 50 and 60mm, red on back and yellow on sides. It must cover 80% of the body length and the two top corners of each side must be covered. We have already had a few customers requesting that their trailers have the full perimeter on the sides and rear covered in the reflective tape.
If you need any more information, or you'd like to order the tape or arrange an appointment to have the tape fitted, please call us on 0845 4505544 or click here to leave us you details. We use the 3M tape so you can be assured of the highest quality!
NB: due to the recession in the UK the Government agreed to postpone the implementation of this legislation until 2011.
