When you drive on the motorway in the UK, a sight that you will often see is a highway maintenance vehicle. These come in various shapes and sizes, and there are a wide range of tasks that these vehicles are used for.
Highway maintenance vehicles are used on roads that are often busy, and which move at a faster pace than most other roads, so they need to be the right vehicles for the job, to make sure that they are not only able to do the job correctly but also to make sure that they are safe on the road.
One of the main things that makes a highway maintenance vehicle stand out and helps to make it safer, is the fact that it must be correctly marked before being used on the motorway. Whether it is a HGV or a van, the markings must comply with the law to ensure the safety of the vehicle and those around it.
Markings like these chapter 8 chevrons https://www.pvluk.com/chapter-8-chevrons are used on highway maintenance vehicles, as well as other vehicles such as police vehicles and ambulances. The hi vis markings make them easy to identify and drivers then become aware that these vehicles are working in the area, alerting them to the fact that they need to bear this in mind.
Chapter 8 markings can be identified easily – they are chevrons that face upwards and red and yellow stripes are used in a reflective material, so that even when driving at night it is easy to spot these vehicles. It is the red part of the design that is reflective, whereas the yellow part is designed to be easier to see in the day.
Being aware of the rules and regulations on the motorway, and the correct uses of vehicle markings is something that will help to keep you and other road users safe, so the more you know, the safer you will be able to drive on the motorway.
In addition to being aware of the various vehicles and their markings on the motorway, it is also important to be aware of the highway code of the motorway, what to do in an emergency if you are driving along the motorway and how to use a smart motorway correctly.