Yellow beacons on Work Vans

[Countdown]

I'm not sure what the correct name for these is - I'm referring to the amber beacon light bars on commercial vehicles (and also popular with various Walts)

My question is - when is the correct time to use these?

To me the obvious answer is "when the vehicle is likely to pose some kind of hazard to other road users" and not when just driving in normal day-to-day traffic. I came across a Ford Transit yesterday which had the roof lights flashing but also had a set of lights installed behind the grill and my initial reaction was that it was an ambulance or police van (in my defence the sun was quite low and a bit dazzling). To further slightly confuse matters both the driver and passenger were wearing yellow high-viz jackets.

The fault was mine for not idnetifying it immediately however i wondered whether there was any need to have these lights on in normal driving other than the driver being somewhat waltish?

[Nico Adie]

Should be used for a slow moving vehicle or abnormal load (which is usually effectively the same thing)

[vikingaero]

I see a lot of vans driving around with the beacons still active as though they like the tiny glory of amber strobes.

Same with bin lorries. The rear bin loading area is closed off and they're on the motorway with the strobes still going.

[48k]

My little tractor has an amber beacon. It's vital I make sure that it is flashing when I am driving around the garden doing something important, so that Mrs 48K knows something important is happening.

[Davie]

My company van has beacons, activated by a tiny little button above your head... with no audible warning nor tell tale so it's very easy to forget to switch them off. Usually somebody decent coming the other way in a van also with beacons will remind you, or the reflection in shop windows will. As for their usage, generally only used in my case when stationary and working within the carriageway, where the van is part of that work. If it's parked legally and locked up etc then not required but when in any area that could pose a higher risk or it's part of the worksite, they're used. They're not used often.

[paul_c123]

The AI answer is pretty accurate:

https://www.google.com/search?q=use+of+amber+beaco...

[Decky_Q]

I used to do breakdowns and used beacons and amber flashers anytime I had to park on the road. I position the van 10m behind the vehicle I'm working on so if some walt crashes into the flashing van he hopefully wont make it to the lorry I'm under!

Also required hi vis and Amber's to enter the docks around here to work on trailers or lorries that are in the yards. Could see someone forgetting to turn them off when knackered and just thinking about getting home.

[MustangGT]

If they are not on for a valid reason I treat them as 'beware, poor driver behind the wheel'.

[RedLightGreenLight]

48k said:

My little tractor has an amber beacon. It's vital I make sure that it is flashing when I am driving around the garden doing something important, so that Mrs 48K knows something important is happening.

[Ian Geary]

I live near an airport, and vehicles must have an amber beacon when driving "airside".

The amount of trucks, cop cars and vans with beacons on makes me think it's easy to forget to switch them off.


I've never seen a walt first hand trying to use amber lights as an emergency vehicle- think how empty your life would have to be for that to be your pass time.

[Yrag male]

I have to have them to go onto the sites I work on, plus a flag, some times I forget to remove and turn off. Especially near lunch time.

[hidetheelephants]

I passed the current iteration of this phenomenon today; a small white van with insanely bright LED strobes flashing away pulled completely off the road onto a wide pavement with 'Surveying' cryptically signwritten on the sides and rear door. No need for any form of flashing light, never mind ones that could do duty in a night club.

Edited by hidetheelephants on Tuesday 21st April 19:17

[Countdown]

Davie said:

My company van has beacons, activated by a tiny little button above your head... with no audible warning nor tell tale so it's very easy to forget to switch them off. Usually somebody decent coming the other way in a van also with beacons will remind you, or the reflection in shop windows will. As for their usage, generally only used in my case when stationary and working within the carriageway, where the van is part of that work. If it's parked legally and locked up etc then not required but when in any area that could pose a higher risk or it's part of the worksite, they're used. They're not used often.

Thanks - that makes sense. He turned them off about half a mile later when we were stopped at some lights.

Another question - why would there be very small very rapidly flashing lights behind the grill (very similar to what you see on undercover Police cars when they're in hot pursuit" )? These are only visible by the car(s) in front. What use would these be for a "normal" Works van ?

[Gary C]

Davie said:

My company van has beacons, activated by a tiny little button above your head... with no audible warning nor tell tale so it's very easy to forget to switch them off. Usually somebody decent coming the other way in a van also with beacons will remind you, or the reflection in shop windows will. As for their usage, generally only used in my case when stationary and working within the carriageway, where the van is part of that work. If it's parked legally and locked up etc then not required but when in any area that could pose a higher risk or it's part of the worksite, they're used. They're not used often.

This is often the case

hold up your hand and make a circling motion and most then turn them off.

[Tam_Mullen]

Countdown said:

Thanks - that makes sense. He turned them off about half a mile later when we were stopped at some lights.

Another question - why would there be very small very rapidly flashing lights behind the grill (very similar to what you see on undercover Police cars when they're in hot pursuit" )? These are only visible by the car(s) in front. What use would these be for a "normal" Works van ?

As others have mentioned the full set of lights are often used on escort vehicles, so on coming vehicles will get the brunt of the front lights.

[Drumroll]

Countdown said:

Thanks - that makes sense. He turned them off about half a mile later when we were stopped at some lights.

Another question - why would there be very small very rapidly flashing lights behind the grill (very similar to what you see on undercover Police cars when they're in hot pursuit" )? These are only visible by the car(s) in front. What use would these be for a "normal" Works van ?

Our vans required 2 separate light sources, so if the beacons failed there was still visible flashing lights. Not all vehicles went into quarries but all had a dual light system.

[paul_c123]

Countdown said:

Another question - why would there be very small very rapidly flashing lights behind the grill (very similar to what you see on undercover Police cars when they're in hot pursuit" )? These are only visible by the car(s) in front. What use would these be for a "normal" Works van ?

Beacons need a wire running to them and they're quite big. The only practical place to mount them is on a roof, so you'd inevitably have to run a wire through the roof, or maybe through a door gap for a temporary measure. And also, it could increase vehicle height to over 6'6" making it unsuitable for fitting into eg multi storey car parks. I believe the AA used a custom slimline light bar, which was also removeable in case they went into multi storeys.

Grille-mounted strobes are a neat and tidy alternate to beacons (so long as they're 1200mm or more above ground level). Also by fitting behind the grille, it saves drilling and cutting the bumper (there is normally a flat panel of some kind they can be mounted to), and the wires are easier to route.

Edited by paul_c123 on Tuesday 21st April 18:07

[South tdf]

Ian Geary said:

I live near an airport, and vehicles must have an amber beacon when driving "airside".

The amount of trucks, cop cars and vans with beacons on makes me think it's easy to forget to switch them off.


I've never seen a walt first hand trying to use amber lights as an emergency vehicle- think how empty your life would have to be for that to be your pass time.

I have a removable one for work due to sites I visit. Have learnt it won’t stick to a glass roof much over 40mph. Have only used it once off site when someone hit a part fallen tree and I parked behind to help.

[vaud]

Decky_Q said:

I used to do breakdowns and used beacons and amber flashers anytime I had to park on the road. I position the van 10m behind the vehicle I'm working on so if some walt crashes into the flashing van he hopefully wont make it to the lorry I'm under!

10 m isnt very far when it comes to a lot of kinetic energy.

You need 20-25metres and your driving wheels turned away from the road, so that your vehicle heads off into the undergrowth.

[48k]

vaud said:

Decky_Q said:

I used to do breakdowns and used beacons and amber flashers anytime I had to park on the road. I position the van 10m behind the vehicle I'm working on so if some walt crashes into the flashing van he hopefully wont make it to the lorry I'm under!

10 m isnt very far when it comes to a lot of kinetic energy.

You need 20-25metres and your driving wheels turned away from the road, so that your vehicle heads off into the undergrowth.

Might be easier to turn the steered wheels away from the road.