For years emergency services have required that their emergency vehicles be marked to make them highly visible on the road and to reduce the risk of being rear-ended when stopped at traffic lights or on accident scenes. Whether their vehicles have been equipped with loud sirens or not, they need to be easily identifiable from a distance in order to ensure that drivers take appropriate safety precautions.
One of the ways in which fire apparatus is commonly identified is by its use of a bright red colour and a distinctive chevron design. Chevrons are used to mark fixed road obstructions but they are also affixed to moving emergency vehicles and when parked in blocking mode or at traffic accidents. To find out more about Chevron Kits, go to Vehicle Chevrons.
Chevrons, or Battenburg markings, are chosen for their conspicuity. This is to improve safety of all road users, as the chevrons can be seen easily. This is especially important when emergency response vehicles might be moving at speed, be stopped in fast-moving traffic or travelling in the opposite direction to the flow of traffic. Chevron Kits are ideal for those agencies seeking to improve the visibility of their fleet vehicles.
As we have previously discussed, the main purpose of this standard across the emergency services is to minimise the number of rear end collisions that occur with vehicles that might be stationary in traffic and to demonstrate the agencies commitment to public safety.
