Safe Speed Forums

Just thought I’d ask the question: Are amber flashing lights on mobile cranes mandatory? I ask this because at times I find them distracting when driving on motorways at night. I’ve also noticed they can cause the wave effect.

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Useless laws weaken necessary laws.

Thats a good question.
A few weeks ago I was heading home in the early evening twilight when one of those ruddy great 'keep right' flashing strobe thingys was turned on ahead

Yes, I think the critical thing is the speed at which the "rig" cruises, which determines whether it must display a rotating flashing beacon.

I don't mind the idea of something that clearly causes a hazard being marked as such, and would respectively suggest that the cause of the "wave" effect is perhaps the fact that it is to all intents and purposes blocking one lane of the motorway...

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They don’t block a lane any more than a normal lorry would, and you don’t see many motorist braking and pulling into lane 3 when they approach a lorry.

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Useless laws weaken necessary laws.

But the point is that they aren't going as fast, that is what I understand to be the critical thing in respect to the requirement for a flashing beacon.

A Moggie Minor would effectively block a lane if it travelled at 30mph...

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CSCP Latin for beginners...
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I'll have a flick through the DSA LGV handbook, but I THINK that any vehicle travelling below 20mph and / or carrying an abnormal load must have a flashing amber beacon....

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

Hi JT,

I wasn’t having a go, the point I’m trying to make is, if your Moggie Minor (or any vehicle except wide loads) was travelling slowly down lane one (at night), driver’s in lane 2 would drive past it without braking, and without pulling into lane 3. Put a high intensity flashing amber light on top of it, and you can notice the difference in driver behaviour.

Dixie

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Useless laws weaken necessary laws.

I wouldn't...

In a perfect world, where there's a slow moving vehicle in L1 we'd want the drivers in L2 & 3 to respond by easing up a bit and making space in anticipation of drivers in L1 needing to pull out and overtake.

If a flashing light achieves that then I think it's a good thing, even if it's for the wrong reasons!

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CSCP Latin for beginners...
Ticketo ergo sum : I scam therefore I am!

The point is, if you're travelling at 70mph and came across a vehicle doing 25mph you would close on said vehicle far more quickly than you would be expecting. It is reasonable to assume that you would not be expecting to come across a vehicle travelling so slowly on the motoway in normal conditions and approching from directly behind, especially at night, it is hard to judge relative speed until you are quite close to the target vehicle. The amber beacon warns you in plenty of time that the target vehicle requires special attention and allows you to respond without needing to shed 45mph and put yourself in an impossible overtaking situation.

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

I've had a flick through the DSA book and there's nothing specific that I can find. All it says is that abnormal loads or slow moving vehicles must have amber beacons.

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

Thanks!.. for for looking Sixy

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Useless laws weaken necessary laws.

Just to throw my two penneth in, a lot of the big cranes top out at 50 mph most are driven more slowly (35-40mph) plus with the front boom overhanging the cab it makes a real mess of something cutting in front of it. Had some great pics of said incident till pc crashed

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http://www.wildcrafts.co.uk

I would have thought it would be in the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations or the 2004 Ammendments.

They are allowed to be used:



But there's nothing saying they are required. The section on Obligitory warning beacons only covers things like milk floats, which can not exceed 25MPH, and only on an un-restricted dual-carageway.

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Andrew.

Ziltro I can tell you uncategorically that beacons are required for abnormal loads - that is anything over a specific width (I can't find exact details), with more than a certain overhang, over length or weight - in most cases very wide (over 16' 6"), heavy (over 44tonne) or long vehicles (over 89' 9") are restricted to 30mph anyway and have to be escorted. I've just read through your link and found this...

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.