From 10 July, 2011 the rear and side contours of certain new goods vehicles and trailers must be lined with retro-reflective material ('conspicuity markings').

Requirement for reflective markings on new goods vehicles (England, Scotland & Wales)

From 10 July 2011, businesses that manufacture and operate certain goods vehicles and trailers must ensure that the rear and side contours are lined with retro-reflective material ('conspicuity markings').

The rules apply to:

• good vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of more than 7,500 kilograms first used on or after 10 July 2011;
• trailers with a gross vehicle weight of more than 3,500 kilograms manufactured on or after 10 July 2011.

Exemptions

The following do not need conspicuity markings:

• tractor units ;
• chassis cabs;
• an incomplete vehicle proceeding to a works for completion or to a place where it's to be stored or displayed for sale.

Vehicles/trailers with overall width of 2.1 metres or less don't require rear markings.

Vehicles/trailers with overall length 6 metres or less don't require side markings.

Marking requirements

There must be:

• full contour marking on the vehicle's rear, ie horizontal and vertical markings to outline the shape of the vehicle;
• a horizontal line showing the length of the vehicle and 'tick' marks showing the upper corners on the vehicle's side;

If the shape, structure, design or operational requirements make it impossible to meet these requirements, line marking can be used instead.

There are detailed rules on where exactly the markings must be placed.

Rear marker plates are optional. However, if fitted, they can form part of the rear contour marking as long as they meet the requirements of the latest version of United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Regulation 70.

Conspicuity marking material requirements

The technical specifications for conspicuity marking materials are set out in UNECE Regulation 104.

Vehicle operators

If you're a vehicle operator, you can retrofit conspicuity markings to your existing fleet.  However, they must still meet the mandatory requirements.