Rear markers: surveying the field
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FROM -NOVEMJBER 1 this year heavy goods vehicles and trailers will have to be fitted with rear marker plates in reflective yellow and fluorescent red, to the requirements set out in The Motor Vehicles (Rear Markings) Regulations 1970, price 7÷p from HMSO or booksellers.
In this context, heavy goods vehicles means rigid vehicles exceeding 3 tons unladen and trailers exceeding 1 ton unladen. Exemptions to the regulations are listed at the end of this review.
The types of marker required for various classes of rigid and articulated vehicle are shown in accompanying diagrams. The marker plates themselves can only conform to the regulations if they comply with BS AU152 and have been tested by the British Standards Institution to the requirements laid down in that standard. Plates which are submitted to test have to conform with colour and reflective and fluorescent standards, maintain their colour fastness and perform well under bending, corrosion conditions, abrasion and accelerated weathering.
Manufacturers whose plates have been found to meet BS AU152 at the time of writing are: Bestplate Ltd, Bribond Signs , Ltd, Cornercroft Engineering Ltd, Hills (Patents) Ltd, Jepson & Co Ltd, Autopower Ltd (Serck), Stewart Signs Ltd, Tuckers Radiator Services Ltd, Stimur Manufacturing Co Ltd, Bluemel Bros Ltd, Pan Signs Ltd, Brissco Equipment Ltd and Edward Curran Engineering Ltd (marketed through Flexible Lamps). Eagle is marketing plates which have been tested successfully to the British Standard under the name of one of the above manufacturers, while Intertruck plates are now in the final stages of the certification process and the company expects to have word of BS approval this month.
CM approached the manufacturers mentioned for details of their products, with the results summarized below. In most cases there are discounts for quantity, and in some cases for prompt cash payment.
Bestplate Ltd Plates in 16g aluminium, using cover materials produced by 3M company.
Prices: Type 1, £4.25; Type 2/3, £2.25 each; Type 4, £5; Type 5, £2.75 each.
Strengthening bars are available for suspended signs together with the necessary fixing brackets.
Bestplate Ltd. 210 Watson Road, Blackpool, Lancs, FY4 3E F (tel: 45287). Blume! Brothers Ltd A full range of plates in coated aluminium, with radiused corners, is made by Bluemels. Prices not stated.
Bluemel Bros Ltd. Wolston, near Coventry (tel: Wolston 2244).
Bribond Signs Ltd Alochromed aluminium in 16g with 3M cover materials is used for these signs, which are available flanged for suspended fittings or flat.
Prices: Flanged Type 1, £4.25; Type 2, £4.50 per pair; Type 3, £4.50 per pair; Type 4, £5.25; Type 5 £5.65 per pair. Flat-plate prices are 5p less than those quoted for flanged in each case.
(Brackets in plastic-coated mild steel are available at 20p each.) Bribond Signs Ltd, Victoria Road, Burgess Hill, Sussex (tel: 5611).
Brissco Equipment Ltd This company offers plates to BS AU 152 in aluminium, rigid plastic or self-adhesive substrate. Most orders to date have been for the rigid plastic type. Prices not stated.
Brissco Equipment Ltd, Cater Road, Bristol BS13 7TX (tel : 664216).
Comercroft Engineering Ltd This company is making Ace marker plates of all the standard types and also makes a 420mm x 235mm plate which is permitted for use as an alternative to Types 2 or 3 where the use of these is impracticable.
Prices: Type 1, £4.25; Type 2, £2.37 each; Type 3, £2.73 each; Type 4, £5.25; Type 5, £3 each.
Cornercroft r.rgineering Ltd, Ace Works, Parkside, Coventry, CV1 2LY (tel: 23391).
Eagle Transfers Ltd Heavy-duty aluminium is used for Eagle plates which are available in the standard types and also in the 420mm x 236mm alternative to Types 2 and 3, at the same price.
Prices: Type 1, £4.25; Type 2/3, £2.37 each: Type 4, £5.25; Type 5, £3 each.
Eagle Transfers Ltd, Queens House, Holly Road, Twickenham, Middx (tel: 01-892 9159).
Flexible Lamps Ltd Aluminium-sheet in 18g is used for these plates (manufactured by Edward Curran Engineering). They have holes ready pierced for fixing, and sealed against corrosion. Rubbolite stiffening kits are available for freely suspended plates. Prices not stated.
Flexible Lamps Ltd, Rubbolite House, Centre Drive, Epping, Essex (tel : 2277).
Hills Patents Ltd This company makes plates for all the regulation requirements. Prices not stated.
Hills Patents Ltd, Hills House, London Road. Staines, Middx (tel: 55041).
Intertruck Ltd This company makes both aluminium rigid plates and self-adhesive types.
Prices: (aluminium); Type 1, £4 each; Type 2/3, £4.25 per pair; Type 4, £5.60 each; Type 5. £5.85 per pair; (self-adhesive): Type 1, £3.55 each; Type 2/3, £3.80 per pair; Type 4, £4.38 each; Type 5, £4.70 per pair. A wide range of galvanized backing and fixing channels and rust-proof brackets and cleats is offered, complete with fixing bolts etc.
Intertruck Ltd, Dewlands Industrial Estate, Dartford, Kent (tel: 25141).
Jepson and Ca Ltd Special coatings to stop corrosion are used on the back and edges of the plates produced by this company, which are in 18g material.
Prices: Type 1, £3.40 each; Type 2/3, £1.81 each; Type 4, £4.10 each; Type 5. £2.40 each.
Jepson and Co Ltd, Wellington Street, Sheffield. Si 3SA (tel: 28119).
Pan Signs Ltd A range of plates to BS AU152 has been designed by this concern. Prices not known. Pan Signs Ltd, 1 East Hill, Colchester, Essex {tel: 798811. Serck {Autopower) A full range of marker plates is produced by the Autoservice Division of this company, the fixing to the bodywork being by selftapping rust-proof screws which have a neat yellow push-fit nylon cover.
Prices: Type 1, £4.65 each; Type 2/3, £4.90 per pair; Type 4, £5.75 each; Type 5, £6.26 each.
Serck Services, 456 Stratford Road, Birmingham B11 4BA (tel: 021-772 5865).
Stewart Signs Ltd This company makes a range of plates to meet the statutory requirements.
Prices: Not stated.
Stewart Signs Ltd, Chandlers Ford, Hants (tel: 0421 54781).
Stimur Manufacturing Co Ltd Three types of plates—flat 169 aluminium, freely suspended aluminium or flexible selfadhesive—are produced by this concern, with surface coverings in 3M material.
Prices: (flat plate) Type 1, £3.79; Type 2, 3, £4.14 per pair; Type 4, £4.63; Type 5, £5.04 per pair. The freely suspended type costs 21p to 25p more than the flat plate. Self-adhesive: 'Type 1, £3.18; Type 2, 3, £3.41 per pair; Type 4. £3.88: Type 5, £4.23 per pair.
Stimur Manufacturing Co Ltd, East Lane, Paisley, Scotland.
Tuckers Radiator Services Ltd The standard range of sign boards is made by Tuckers.
Prices: Type 1, £4.25; Type 2/3, £4.75 per pair; Type 4, £5.25; Type 5, £5.75 per pair.
Tuckers Radiator Services Ltd, Reliance House, Whitehouse Street, Bristol 3 (tel: 662601).
Although the markers must be fitted by November 1, there is no legal objection to them being fitted before this date. In all cases the bottom edge of the marker plates has to be horizontal and must not be more than 1700mm (about 5ft 7in) and not less than 400mm (lft 4in) above the ground, whether empty or laden. No part of the markers may project beyond the width of the vehicle.
Exemptions
Heavy vehicles which are exempt from these marker plate regulations are: passenger vehicles; living-van trailers not exceeding 2 tons unladen; land tractors, locomotives and implements and agricultural trailers; industrial tractors; works trucks and trailers; an unfinished vehicle going to a works for completion or to a place for storage or display for sale; tractive units of attic combinations; brokendown vehicles being towed; engineering plant; psv trailers; fire fighting and fire salvage vehicles; aircraft servicing or control vehicles; vehicles designed and used for the transport of two or more motor vehicles; a vehicle going to a place for export.; a vehicle temporarily in Great Britain and owned by a person resident abroad; a vehicle in the service of a visiting force or of a headquarters; a motor vehicle first used before January 1 1940.