White reflective on vehicle sides. Legal?

[Dave & Rob Lowery]

As far as we know, its fine. Look at the RAC and AA vans for example, they are covered in the stuff!

[Craig Brown]

Might be more detail than you are after –

Information taken from Freight Transport Association
When ever using reflective vinyl on vehicles you need to be aware of the “Road Vehicle lighting regulations” 1989 (no-1796). This states that reflective material is to be treated, under the regulations, as if it were showing a light. Permissible Reflective Liveries.

Front Any colour OTHER than RED
Sides Any Colour (but must not confuse other Road users e.g.
make vehicle look like a police car).
Rear Red ONLY*

* Various permisible exceptions are listed such as indicators, amber warning beacons, yellow
reflective number plates, rear marking on vehicles exceeding 7500kg and Dangerous Substance placards.

[Paul Rollason]

Just been on the phone to Devon & Cornwall Police about this and they said,

“There is no restriction whatsoever concerning reflective materials fitted to vehicles unless they restrict your veiw from the vehicle”.

Very weird indeed

They did say that the call was being recorded but I think they might well loose that tape if I was ever taken to court for illegal vehicle markings

dreckly

paul r

[Craig Brown]

It’s the D.O.T. you need to talk too for clarification – having just gone through this process ourselves I think the police have given you a bum steer. (but at the end of the day it’s your call)

[Neill Hague]

we used to have reflective all over the sides of the van (lit up like a xmas tree at night)
didn’t have any problems with the police, etc..

[Paul Rollason]

quote CABROWN:

It’s the D.O.T. you need to talk too for clarification – having just gone through this process ourselves I think the police have given you a bum steer. (but at the end of the day it’s your call)

I have contacted the DOT and I am awaiting a response

dreckly

mamos

[David Rogers]

A company I used to work for had white & yellow class 1 (diamond grade) plastered over all four sides of a couple of vans. Stood out very, very, very well and never a bit of bother by the authorities. Legally they were wrong to do it but…….

I get ‘my’ new van later this week (woo hoo!) LWB Master 2.5dti or something (not been paying much attention to ‘boss man’). It’s gonna be well covered in that nice reflective LG stuff 😉

I’ll try to resist the temptation of putting blue boy racer neons on the underside & led washer jets 😮 to complete the blue ‘n’ yellow theme that we’ve got going on. 🙄

[Stephen Morriss]

I’ve heard a lot about the reflective being law now but I’ve not seen any legal documentation about it.
The only things I’ve seen have been EU recommendations and they basically stated that reflective is to be treated as a light source, so as said earlier no red on the front and sides any colour/amber back red/amber but vehicle liveries can be any colour including white as long as it’s not the predominant colour.

3m suppliers usually have a lot of info on reflective, try William smiths at Barnard Castle.

Steve

[David Rogers]

I’m pretty sure that in William Smith’s literature for 3m – it states the ‘treat as light source’.

ie. not white on rear, not red on front.

I don’t think you’d fall foul of legislation for having a small amount of white text on the back – or a red dot on the front.
The law is there to prevent confusion, ie. coating the back of your van in white class1 and freaking out drivers.

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1989/Uksi_19891796_en_1.htm

[Stephen Morriss]

Just another one to consider is that reflective tape is not allowed instead of proper reflectors on the back of vehicles.
My bike failed it’s MOT as I’d used a bit of the 3M diamond grade red on the back, the mot’r said the regulations state the reflector has to be one of the plastic ones that have a wide viewing angle and even though the 3M stuff was very good it still didn’t meet the regulations.

So it may be worth remembering if you get pulled up on having any red on the front or white on the back.

Steve

[ianahobbs]

i had a van covered in the Lg reflective….
also did a vinyl print on clear laminated over the reflective white so the picture glowed..awsome !!

but do remember if at all possible put a normal calendered vinyl under the reflective areas so it aids removal at a later date.

I have just used reflective on 3 vans that are re-order from 4 yrs ago and the customer requested that i put black on first as he doesnt want to spend 3 days stripping the old graphics off ever again when he gets new vehicles and he was happy to pay the extra cost this time ^^

ian

[Andy Gorman]

Ok then……the British telecom logos using white reflective were allowed because the graphic was for decorative purposes and not conspicuity. Yeah I know, what a load of rubbish! But it’s true. I have this on authority from someone who sells thousands of Police kits every year. Strange. 😕

[Craig Brown]

I seem to remember that the BT piper was not white reflective on the rear of the van and the AA have had to make their yellow “AA” on the rear of their vans show up red at night (print process over the reflective to create this I’m told) when car headlights illuminate it.