'The proliferation of beacons must confuse the general motoring public'
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ow the privatisation of escort vehicles for abnormal loads is to go through, would it be asking too much to rethink the use of warning beacons? Over the years they have proliferated and frequently been misused. Breakdown companies are the worst offenders. While they do an excellent job recovering vehicles in hazardous conditions, many spoil the effect by driving away with beacons blazing. The use of beacons during recovery is essential but I cannot see the reason for leaving them on. The RAC and the AA leave beacons on when they are only carrying a car on the platform. Imagine if car transporters followed this practice—the road would be full of mobile Christmas trees!
The proliferation of beacons must confuse the general motoring public to the stage where they can't tell the difference between breakdown vehicles, gritting lorries and eight-wheel tippers.
But there is a case for adding one new category of vehicle that can use flashing beacons.
From my experience over the years I believe that the police have done an excellent job on escort duties of abnormal loads, particularly the Metropolitan police in the London area, IF this work goes to private operators I do think it would be right to allow vehicles carrying such loads and their escort vehicles to use red beacons. It would go a long way to losing the magic blue light of the police. I hope heavy hauliers will press for this facility as it would be a major contribution to road safety. I expect there will eventually be a press and television announcement of the changes to escort duties. If the Department of Transport could be persuaded to allow red beacons on escort duty, the announcement could be made at the same time though experience tells me it will take a two-year study and E2m in consultancy fees to bring this about. I am sure the use of red beacons for abnormal loads will eventually come about, though probably not in this century. it might, of course, arrive more quickly if a wide load clipped Mr Norris' car and he had to travel by train or bus.
Changes do not always happen quickly but, nevertheless, I have seen many in my 38 years in road transport. The one I remember most happened on my first driving job. I was doing a left-hand turn when I nearly ran over the works manager who had failed to see the pop-out indicator on my 1949 ERE
The next day he arranged for the whole fleet to be fitted with the new fangled flashing indicators. However, he drew the line when asked to fit a passenger windscreen wiper—you don't sit on that side to drive, he said.