How does lorry wrapping help to prevent road traffic accidents?

truck labelling for road safety

Model Rigid Grade

According to a study by RACE (Royal Automobile Club of Spain), almost 23% of serious accidents that occur on our roads involve heavy vehicles or lorries. For this reason, it is vital that the vehicle is easily identifiable by other drivers because a lorry that can be seen easily becomes a much safer vehicle.

How can we make our vehicle more distinctive? Through the correct distinctive wrapping of vehicles, with reflective elements that resist the harsh weather that lorries face every day.

The European regulation ECE 104 includes reflective contour marking for lorries and trailers that, in low visibility conditions, allows us to identify both the rear and side perimeter of lorries and trailers. To avoid accidents, the marking materials for lorries, trailers and heavy vehicles must meet certain essential requirements:

  • They must have a high visibility which is not reduced by weather factors such as rain and sun.

  • Likewise, the marking materials must not lose their visibility as a result of dust or possible remains of the merchandise that the vehicles may transport.

  • The markings must be easily washable but washing them must not affect how reflective they are.

  • And above all, the marking materials must stand the test of time. Both in terms of visibility, as well as in terms of not becoming detached from the vehicle.

It is very important that the wrapping on the lorries is correct and visible in any situation. As we have already indicated, this wrapping marks the limits and measurements of the lorries and its cargo. How should this signage be made? There are some regulations to take into account.

  • The rear of heavy vehicles and trailers must be properly marked, especially in the case of vehicles over 12 meters long.

  • The contours of the heavy-duty vehicle, whether they are tarpaulins or rigid surfaces, should also be marked and easily visible by other drivers. In fact, they must cover at least 80% of the length of the vehicle.

  • In the case of tank trucks, it is important to mark both the sides of the tank and the rear with stamped reflective tapes.

  • European regulations state that yellow can be used on the sides or at the rear of the vehicle. Red can be used on the back and white can be used on the sides. It will also be necessary to take into account the transport regulations of our country, as for example in the case of Poland where only yellow can be used on the rear of the vehicle.

lorry wrapping for trucks

The regulations allow us to mark the contour of lorries and trailers in a personalised way, including with our logo in reflective wrapping. Lorries are still visible in low light settings up to 1000 meters away and will also be easily identifiable with customisation.

For which other vehicles is reflective wrapping important?

We must emphasise that reflective wrapping is not only essential for heavy lorries, but also for police and emergency services vehicles. They must carry the V-3 sign that distinguishes vehicles of this class in non-emergency service.

It is a reflective wrapping on the sides of the vehicle that incorporates the name of the police force. In addition to this, service cars can have a longitudinal contour line in reflective material around their perimeter.

T2S Ibérica has a wide range of tapes for safety marking, all designed to withstand harsh weather conditions and resist industrial and mechanised washing. They have a lifespan of 10 years without losing their effectiveness. Discover all the vehicle wrappings that we have available for your fleet.