The Road Haulage Association Recovery Group in the UK is calling for recovery trucks to be allowed to use red flashing lights while recovering or assisting a vehicle on the road. Two UK recovery operators have lost their lives after being hit at the roadside and the RHA is now urging the government to review the law.  

At present, as in Ireland, recovery and assistance vehicles can only use orange flashing lights, but campaigners for change believe that these are now too common place to be effective. In particular they point out that orange is the colour used by many construction vehicles and the frequent use of beacons and lightbars by construction operators means that drivers are so used to seeing these lights that they no longer slow down or take greater care.

Robin Doney, MD of Boarhunt Recovery which sadly lost a driver this year said. “It gets lost in everything else. No-one knows it’s a recovery vehicle. Just because it’s the most noticeable colour doesn’t mean it’s the safest. We have got to have something done about it."