The UK government have announced in their ‘Plan for Drivers’ policy paper that breakdown recovery vehicles will be permitted to use red flashing lights on their vehicles to improve visibility and safety at the roadside.
This is a fantastic leap forward for roadside safety, with concerns from the industry that amber lights alone aren’t prominent enough to fully protect dedicated recovery workers and stranded motorists.
The introduction of red, which is associated with caution and attention, will capture the attention of passing motorists more effectively and will play a part in reducing the number of accidents involving the recovery of vehicles stranded on the roadside.
The official document states, “Road recovery operators provide a crucial service to stranded drivers and support the economy by getting goods moving and preventing the build-up of congestion on our busy road network to help journeys flow more smoothly.
To help keep them safe and get people moving again when vehicles break down, we will permit the use of rear-facing red flashing lamps by road recovery operators.”
This new measure will apply to England, Scotland and Wales.
If you’re considering integrating red flashing lights into your recovery fleet, check out our range of warning lighting using the link below to take your next step towards safer roads.