Reflective Tape around overlanding vehicle
 

Hi,

Customers often stick reflective tape around their vehicles and I have seen a few references to doing it, although mainly relating to larger trucks.

Is there any definitive guide out there about what tape and where it needs to be placed.

I'm currently looking in to it for a Land Cruiser about to head round the world (UK - Moscow - China - ship to US ad then up to Canada), but it would be interesting to know for other countries.

Any pointers would be appreciated.

Thanks.

In the UK Chapter 8 of the traffic management guidance recommends that Highway Construction vehicles that aren't either white or yellow have reflective tape down the sides along with the rear reflective chevrons. That's not relevant for overland vehicles.
I've noticed in Uganda 4x4s and larger vehicles have 2 plates on the rear approx 300x200mm with reflective chevrons on them, they are similar to the magnetic ones that one can get here for highway working.

Attention needs to be paid to colour of reflective (not fluoro) tape , eg which direction it is being used ie if forward facing then some problems might arise if using red tape , as with white to rear , especially in EU area there are recently introduced legislation EU wide requiring "high conspicuity" markings using retroflective tape on LGV this requires yellow or white side facing , and red or yellow rear facing . Blue is another area altogether . HTSH :thumbup1:

I'm glad this question has been asked, thanks Julian: I have been thinking of sticking some patches of reflective stuff on the truck, if only to cover a few blemishes in the finish. :innocent:
For me, these would be low down to "boost" the existing lights- probably to be located on the bumpers which have the blemishes anyway.

I've done nothing about it so far and my thoughts were much as stated here; red showing to the back and white to the front - all those yellow/red chevrons might make it look a bit too much like a HGV.
As for blue, it is supposed to be illegal to show any blue (lights that is) on a vehicle in the UK but try telling that to the masses of foreign owned trucks passing through Dover into the UK, and onward.

under RVLR 1989 Colour of reflective tape is classed as light colour HTSH

In argentina they want 1 metre (in total) of white reflection on the sides of a truck, and 1 metre in total on the back of red reflection stuff. however, you also only need to comply with your own counties rules....

Use common sence to play safe. I hate the reflection stuff as it makes it harder to wild camp 50 metres from a road as you show up like a christmas tree when cars go by at night....

Merv.

Yep. A good layer of dust helps.. better with mud.

If you have something mounted to the vehicle put the reflective stuff on that and rotate it in the mountings - one way reflective the other not. Jerry cans are good that way.

North America uses the regular system:

White: Front
Amber: Side ( North America uses illuminated side markers)
Red : Rear

There is no legal requirement to have relective tape on an SUV, but if you do not have side markers, maybe some amber tape on the sides might be a good idea, a short length in front of the front wheel and behind the rear wheel

I prefer to be 'stealthy' for bush camping too!

Vehicle Tape regulations
 

Hi Julian,

Follow this link for further info, also 3M make compliant tape.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/repositor...ty%20Guide.pdf

regards,

Bob Neville

Thanks Bob, although they seem to be for lorries.

I'll keep digging to see what I can come up with.

Dont think you will find anything that is "international" it is usually accepted that when travelling what is legal in the origin country is more or less accepted (with exceptions eg in china you have to run with chinese plates)

EU is unifying standards eg with LGV but other areas vary considerably , and quite often travellers borrow what they see as a good idea eg hazard boards on rear projections (bike racks) . If you do what is logical or legal in your own country you should not go to far wrong elsewhere eg dashed orange reflective along side of vehicle . Best avoid blue and green as these are usually recognised as emergency services colours , but red to rear white to front and amber to side is about as international as it gets . HTSH

The only time I've ever been asked to display reflective tape on front and rear was in Malawi if I remember correctly. A couple of inches of red and white tape stuck on (conveniently sold at the border shop) did the trick.

Not strictly speaking true, but it is down to the discretion of the officer who stops you as to wether he thinks they look too much like emergency services lighting. Other wise you can use a constant blue light.

I noted that in Ghana vehicles are fitted with retro reflective stickers (like that used on Ambulances and Police cars in UK).

2 white ones on the front and two red at the rear.

Trotros, additionally, are fitted with amber stickers up the majority of each side.

Having seen them during the day and though they looked out of place and then seen them on poorly light roads at night i would certainly advise their use on an overland vehicle.

Reading S American blogs, a couple of travellers have been stopped in Argentina for not having sufficient reflectors and asked to pay bribes. Another for not having the correct speed limit sign on the back (they want the local reflective one). Others for not having rear under-run prevention bars.

I don't think they take much notice of the what's-legal-back-home-is-OK-here myth, simply because it doesn't even apply within the EU. Towing 4 down, reflective vests, triangles, globe kits, first aid kits, fire extinguishers, radar detectors, speed limits, weight limits, road rules and signs are all country specific and non-compliance based on what is OK back home isn't an option if you want to avoid hassles.

Just arrived in BA and picking up the vehicle tomorrow so one of the first jobs will be to reduce excuses for bribe demands to the absolute minimum - hopefully to the point where any "requests" will be so outlandish that they won't expect me to take them seriously

Hi all,
Our experience in Africa is they were never asked for on the West side at all.
We got fined for having no front reflective tape in Zambia. Needed to be white and on the extremities of the vehicle ie. either end of bumper.
Having sorted this, we then got done in Tanzania for only having front tape but no rear. No amount of discussion and pointing out that we had reflectors built into our rear light clusters anyway made any difference. They want red reflective TAPE on the rear corners ie. under/above light clusters, as well as the white on the front.
I believe it's also required in Malawi & Mozambique.
Not sure about further north on the east side.
We were never asked about side reflectors.

Happy travels
Sam

New regs in Zim require "commercial vehicles" to have a 50mm wide red reflective ("diamond grade") strip all across the rear to within (I think) 350mm of the edge of the vehicle.
The old requirement for white reflective tape on the front still stands.
Apparently the interpretation of "commercial vehicle" can potentially also be applied to pick-ups, landrovers etc if you're unlucky....

In Namibia (Keetmanshoop in particular), the police are very keen on picking up vehicles without "country" stickers (ie "GB") - lots of South Africans have been caught by this one.

Ian

Front / side / rear reflectors in Africa?
 

Hi there

I will shortly be taking delivery of my truck in Dubai and heading out to Africa in April. The plan is to circumnavigate the whole continent in about 20 months, ending up in Morocco, from Sudan, via 'the usual' East coast to S.A. then back up the West coast route.

I was searching for advice on the 'rules and regs' of vehicle markings in Africa so am raising this old thread. The general consensus seems to be white / amber / red markings on the front / side / rear but I've also heard that a solid yellow stripe is also needed on the sides (was that S. Africa?), and I assume different countries have different ideas about what constitutes the minimum size of markings?

In the U.A.E. I will need to fit black and yellow chevron stickers to both the rear and the sides of the vehicle - these are sold typically about 75cm long and whilst the rules seem to be randomly applied, I'll be having at least two on the sides and two on the rear. No need for front reflectors here.

So....what's the current thinking on this - any recent experience gratefully received - I guess I'll be carrying lots of reflective tape!

The vehicle is 6x6 and 7m+ long, though less than 7 tonnes, so will I'm sure be adjudged to be 'truck like' or 'commercial vehicle' like rather than compared to a Defender / Cruiser for example.