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There are a number of items of new legislation coming
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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 (Df reluctantly having to adopt United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE) regulation 48, in particular paragraph 6.21 that covers conspicuity markings (http://tiny.cdxhndo). 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. 'Me specification of the tape is laid down in UN ECE regulation 104, but it must be between 50mm and 60min wide and coloured yellow or
red. It must be as close as practical to the body edge, but the 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 markings and the mandatory slop lights.
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 the 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 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 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°. In all cases, a dotted line may he used, provided that the gaps between blocks of tape are no more than 50% of the length of the shortest block.
As is compulsory with new legislation these days, a cost-benefit analysis was carried out as part of the consultation process. This analysis was based on accident research, which concluded that in 595 fatal accidents involving the rear or side of trucks in 2005,78 could have been avoided by the use of conspicuity tape. Projecting this figure over a 12-year period produced a potential saving of £297m, compared with the DfT's estimated cost for fitting the tape of £153m over the same period. •