Emergency vehicles come in all shapes and sizes and are needed to do a variety of jobs. From police cars that are needed to pursue criminals in a high speed chase, to ambulances equipped with all the necessary medical emergency kits and also breakdown vehicles that can rescue you from a vehicle disaster.
These vehicles rely on all sorts of things to make sure that other motorists and road users are able to see them – as well as sirens and flashing lights, they also make use of chapter 8 chevrons like this www.pvluk.com/chapter-8-chevrons
What Actually Are Chapter 8 Chevrons?
The name Chapter 8 is in reference to the section of the traffic signs manual, which is published by the Department for Transport. This is what all of the guidelines for the visibility of vehicles that work on the public roads and how to make sure that they are safe and as visible as possible.
The rear chevrons that are used on the backs of vehicles are reflective so that they can be seen easily at night and in poor weather conditions and are in alternating red and yellow stripes. This means that vehicles approaching from behind need to take care around the vehicle or to slow down.
What Vehicles Can they be Found on?
Chapter 8 Chevrons can be found on a range of vehicles that work on the roads – here are some of them…
Police Vehicles – You may notice them on the police cars as they can sometimes be stationary or they might be driving at high speed.
Road Workers – Highway maintenance vehicles and vehicles that are doing any work on the roads will have them to alert road users to their presence and keep them safe.
Fire Engines – These are required when fire engines are heading to a fire or attending a roadside incident.
Recovery and Breakdown Vehicles – To alert people to the fact that they may need to position themselves in the road to recover a broken down vehicle, or they may come to a stop somewhere to recover it, such as a hard shoulder or a live motorway lane for example.
These markings are important because ensuring that a vehicle that is doing a job on the roads can be seen can help to save lives. Whether it is an ambulance that needs to get through traffic to an emergency or a road working crew that needs to be safe when working on the road, good visibility is a key part of safety.
