Recovery trucks' amber beacons.

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Fri 9 May 2008 12:12
Recovery trucks' amber beacons. - Badwolf
Top of the morning to you all

I'm idly wondering if any of you folks know why recovery trucks biff along with their amber beacons flashing when they have vehicles on the back.

Obviously I can understand them being on while the vehicle is being loaded but once the vehicle is safely on the back, surely the hazard has gone?

As I say, just curious. Yes, 'curious' is the word that many people would use in connection with me... :-)

Cheers.
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Fri 9 May 2008 13:40
Recovery trucks' amber beacons. - Chris M
For the same reason the drivers wear their hi-viz jackets in the truck and some drivers insist on using fog lights when there is no fog.

BECAUSE THEY CAN!
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Fri 9 May 2008 14:25
Recovery trucks' amber beacons. - Screwloose

Is this specifically recovery trucks; or spec-lifts?
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Fri 9 May 2008 14:51
Recovery trucks' amber beacons. - BobbyG
On a similar note, I am quite regularly blinded by recovery trucks lights as many of them seem to have adopted flashing LEDs or strobe lights that seem to be just at the right level for blinding me, either behind me via my mirror or in front of me.

Saw a heavy duty breakdown truck last week on M8 that had 8 flashing amber LEDS at the front, 4 on each side sloping to form a "V" across the front. That was horrendous on the eyes!
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Fri 9 May 2008 15:02
Recovery trucks' amber beacons. - Old Navy
That was horrendous on the eyes!

At least you saw it, a collegue rear ended a police car that had all its flashing lights on. IMO was driving too fast for conditions and no escape route.
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Fri 9 May 2008 15:36
Recovery trucks' amber beacons. - Sofa Spud
If a recovery truck is towing a properly secured car on a spectacle lift, it's effectively a trailer and usually considerably smaller and lighter than the truck. If a 44 tonne artic that's 15 metres long doesn't need flashing amber beacons on while it's moving, why does a Ford Transit lift-towing a Focus???

It's all a bit 'look-at-me' Bob the Builder stuff, I think. Obviously bigger recovery vehicles towing lorries or buses need the beacons, and they need to be used on smaller trucks while the recovery is taking place, but not while the recovered vehicle is being transported!

Edited by Sofa Spud on 09/05/2008 at 15:37

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Fri 9 May 2008 16:08
Recovery trucks' amber beacons. - Screwloose

A spec-lift is legally required to have the beacons on, as it's towing an unbraked trailer in excess of the legal maximum weight.
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Fri 9 May 2008 22:16
Recovery trucks' amber beacons. - Ben 10
Maybe the police posters amongst us can clarify. But I was under the impression they were breaking the law, driving with roof top beacons flashing.
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Fri 9 May 2008 22:33
Recovery trucks' amber beacons. - Fullchat
Not something I have lost any sleep over. Would have to get the books out. But there is some stuff here:

www.policespecials.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=2...7
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Fri 9 May 2008 22:33
Recovery trucks' amber beacons. - yorkiebar
The amber beacons are to warn of a hazard. In some instances it is compulsory to have them on.

Any vehicle with another vehicle on it or on a suspended tow etc is a hazard. Slower moving, unstable etc etc etc.

Better to be advised its a hazard than just stumble across it?

And as for why the drivers wear the hi viz jackets when driving? Every job they go to is a hazard; its a better idea to arrive with hi viz on than to struggle putting it on at the scene! Illegal too on a motorway too under certain circumstances!


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Sun 11 May 2008 02:12
Recovery trucks' amber beacons. - Badwolf
I'm not talking about the recovery trucks that are towing something. Obviously there is a hazard here that warrants use of the beacons. It's the flatbed wagons that have the car on the back but still use the beacons whilst driving that confuse me.

As for the hi-viz vests, our company has some contracts that involve loading elderly/less-abled people on to the bus via a rear tail lift and I always leave my hi-viz on all the time as taking it off and putting it on again would seriously get on my wick!

Cheers
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Sun 11 May 2008 08:49
Recovery trucks' amber beacons. - SlidingPillar
I could not care less about the wearing of high vis stuff. Nor for that matter, most recovery trucks amber beacons.

But a lot of the highways agency trucks and a few recovery ones, think it is super safe to have lots of strobe effect amber LEDs. In my book, more likely to cause an accident since the eye is drawn to them, thus make the observation of other things poor. To quote a old phrase, never had an accident, but seen hundreds!
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Sun 11 May 2008 10:39
Recovery trucks' amber beacons. - Simon
Amber beacons on recovery trucks should only technically be used when they pose a hazard to other road users. For example when they are loading up at the side of the road or if they are performing a difficult manoeuvre, such as towing something like an articulated truck through a seeing of tight road junctions etc where you need bags of room.

You see a lot of people using spec lifts who just flick the flashing lights on and think that they are all fine and dandy, but if you want to stick to the letter of the law, they should attach a trailer board to the back of the vehicle that they are towing, and thus the need for the flasing amber beacons in negated.

The ones who dash about in flatbeds with the lights flashing whilst driving normally are either 'look at me people' or they have just forgotten to flick the switch on the dashboard to turn them off. Don't forget that the only person that can't actually see them is the one driving the truck with them on (unless its at night).

You will also see a lot of 'professional' companies like the AA towing with their amber beacons flashing. They teach their drivers to use them particularly whilst towing with one of these little 'rapid deployment trailers' that fold out the back of their van. The reason that they do this is rumoured to be because in the past they have sacked employees for NOT using their beacons whilst towing and to make a U-turn on this policy and teach their drivers to not use their flashing lights, it could lead to possible legal action by these sacked employees.
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Sun 11 May 2008 10:50
Recovery trucks' amber beacons. - Pugugly
I was driving through some traffic lights near Betws y Coed on the A5 whilst on my holidays. This van with amber lights showing pulled out with no indication right in front of me. He then pulled into the coned off area again, as I drove passed I stopped to give him an indication of my displeasure. All he did (when he got round to putting his mobile phone away) was point towards his ambers, obviously in ignorance of their intended use. The van was liveried in a well known national traffic light company's colours. Obviously their "training" requires some tweaking.

Edited by Pugugly on 11/05/2008 at 10:51

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Sun 11 May 2008 12:09
Recovery trucks' amber beacons. - gordonbennet
I stopped to give him an indication of my displeasure.

Ah..could be time to get the flat cap, and start saying 'i don't believe it' (maybe its another side effect of the roomster)

Only pulling the good leg PU, and i do agree these flashing amber lights are getting to epidemic proportions.

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Tue 17 Sep 2019 20:53
Recovery trucks' amber beacons. - Callum h

As I work as a recovery passenger the reason we use beacons is to warn people that something may happen for example our breaking is reduced from extra weight, the vehicle may potentially fall off the vehicle and our vision behind us is reduced by the vehicle and when going across openings making us more visble so vehicles do not hit the side. Hope this answers your question

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Tue 17 Sep 2019 21:27
Recovery trucks' amber beacons. - gordonbennet

As I work as a recovery passenger the reason we use beacons is to warn people that something may happen for example our breaking is reduced from extra weight, the vehicle may potentially fall off the vehicle and our vision behind us is reduced by the vehicle and when going across openings making us more visble so vehicles do not hit the side. Hope this answers your question

Dear Lord do you not tie the things on, are you seriously overloaded enough for brake failure with yet another broken Golf up top.

How come hundreds of car transporters carrying 11 and sometimes 12 car loads manage to travel hundreds of thousands of miles a year, A without cars dropping off willy nilly, B without any visibility issues (mirrors are quite handy for this), and C without blinding every poor blighter unfortunate enough to be anywhere near you.

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Tue 17 Sep 2019 21:41
Recovery trucks' amber beacons. - badbusdriver

As I work as a recovery passenger the reason we use beacons is to warn people that something may happen for example our breaking is reduced from extra weight, the vehicle may potentially fall off the vehicle and our vision behind us is reduced by the vehicle and when going across openings making us more visble so vehicles do not hit the side. Hope this answers your question

And indeed more than 11 years after the question was asked, most people would assume the OP no longer cares!

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Thu 19 Sep 2019 14:13
Recovery trucks' amber beacons. - FoxyJukebox

I strongly suspect its because drivers tend to give way and respect a vehicle trying to look "authoritative".

Its the same psychology with hi-viz jackets. Try wearing one in a public place and walk with intention and authority. People will give way to you, just you see!

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Thu 19 Sep 2019 14:44
Recovery trucks' amber beacons. - gordonbennet

I"authoritative".

Its the same psychology with hi-viz jackets. Try wearing one in a public place and walk with intention and authority. People will give way to you, just you see!

If you're wearing the statutory bluetooth earpiece flashing away as well as the council apparatchik's issue spotlessly clean never see any work hivis, like a wannabe james bond on a secret mission, they'll move out the way all right, to stifle the laughs as they point and double over.

Edited by gordonbennet on 19/09/2019 at 14:46

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Thu 19 Sep 2019 22:14
Recovery trucks' amber beacons. - alan1302

I"authoritative".

Its the same psychology with hi-viz jackets. Try wearing one in a public place and walk with intention and authority. People will give way to you, just you see!

If you're wearing the statutory bluetooth earpiece flashing away as well as the council apparatchik's issue spotlessly clean never see any work hivis, like a wannabe james bond on a secret mission, they'll move out the way all right, to stifle the laughs as they point and double over.

Not sure I have ever seen James Bond in a hivis! LOL

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