Flashing beacons

[Pringles]

The folks who switch all there beacons and strobes on as soon as the ignition is switched on are a real pain in the rsole as this makes the average road user oblivious to the actual purpose of having flashing lights in the first place.
We use the A92 ( which is a dual carriageway road with a 70MPH limit at it's western end) to travel between 2 farms, it can be a white knuckle ride in a tractor with cars and lorries not pulling out into the fast lane until they are climbing onto your back.

I know it's not good advice, but I try not to check the mirrors as this tends to put the Sh£$s up you seeing vehicles barreling towards your backside!!


I have said on here before that you could have 20 flashing beacons festooned upon your tractor and attachment and some drivers still would not see you!

We have the flashing lights on the back of our trailers and implement's wired into the "spare" pin in the 7pin plug, normally used for fog light's, and all our tractors have switches in the cab to have the beacons working as and when they should be used without the need for the sidelights being on.
It's a pet hate of mine having trailers working in fields no where near a public road at night and the beacons flashing pointlessly.

 

[kiwi pom]

Oh honestly , they need them shuved up their arse especial if they on in the fields .

People driving tractors in fields with their wa**er lights on really are a special brand of numpty.
Chap I used to cart a bit of silage for said if you turn up alongside the chopper with your flashing light on, guess where its going

 

[mtx.jag]

Artic lorries are often wider and longer
They don't use hazard warning lights unless with oversize load.

Amber beacons have nothing to do with length or width.
It’s a slow moving vehicle warning.
The amount of accidents you see here on duel carriage way from cars ploughing into the back of slow moving silage trailers is shocking.
After seeing what was left of a motorcycle rider that went into the back of a mates tractor I’m happy to drive around with amber lights on to warn that I’m slow moving.

 

[snarling bee]

I take a different view. I think that every tractor and trailer, should have their flashing beacon on when they're on the road, whether they be towing or not. At best it professionalises the image of the industry, and at the least it improves visibility and road safety...especially when some knob drives like a bat out of hell on B-roads.

The standard of driving though has deteriorated drastically I feel over the last 3-5 years, and I wouldn't be confident in relying on the reaction times and driving skills of most tech distracted drivers driving at God knows speed approaching a slow moving dark lump of metal.

Mind you, it's perhaps wishful thinking to ask for more than one working red light that's not got the lens caked in muck on some tractors around here.

Haven't read whole thread.

The problem is that when flashing lights are used by all and sundry when they are not needed, then everybody ignores them when they are. eg a combine or 4m wide cultivator behind tractor (and escort vehicle).

 

[David1968]

Haven't read whole thread.

The problem is that when flashing lights are used by all and sundry when they are not needed, then everybody ignores them when they are. eg a combine or 4m wide cultivator behind tractor (and escort vehicle).

As long as you've done your bit, that's their problem.

 

[TheTallGuy]

Amber beacons have nothing to do with length or width.
It’s a slow moving vehicle warning.
The amount of accidents you see here on duel carriage way from cars ploughing into the back of slow moving silage trailers is shocking.
After seeing what was left of a motorcycle rider that went into the back of a mates tractor I’m happy to drive around with amber lights on to warn that I’m slow moving.

The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1988 does allow for vehicles exceeding 2.9m width to cary amber warning beacons...
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/regulation/11

Furthermore, the highway code suggests that amber beacons can be used to indicate abnormal loads

225
Vehicles with flashing amber beacons. These warn of a slow-moving or stationary vehicle (such as a Traffic Officer vehicle, salt spreader, snow plough or recovery vehicle) or abnormal loads, so approach with caution...

 

[mtx.jag]

The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1988 does allow for vehicles exceeding 2.9m width to cary amber warning beacons...
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/regulation/11

Furthermore, the highway code suggests that amber beacons can be used to indicate abnormal loads

Thanks

 

[DrWazzock]

Yeah, why not make everybody wear flashing beacons, have reversing bleepers, and not leave the house without wearing a hard hat, safety bootswrapping in at least a 6” layer of bubble wrap.
That would be the dream wouldn’t it?
If folks can’t avoid crashing into something because it’s not festooned with orange lights then heaven help them.

 

[mtx.jag]

Yeah, why not make everybody wear flashing beacons, have reversing bleepers, and not leave the house without wearing a hard hat, safety bootswrapping in at least a 6” layer of bubble wrap.
That would be the dream wouldn’t it?
If folks can’t avoid crashing into something because it’s not festooned with orange lights then heaven help them.

You never approached something that’s going a lot slower than you thought?

 

[Grassman]

You never approached something that’s going a lot slower than you thought?

Like people walking on the road?

 

[mtx.jag]

Like people walking on the road?

When you watch a Motor bike go into the back of a tractor and see what’s left of his body after the emergency services remove various limbs that are jammed between the back wheel and mud guard then your understand why a flashing beacon is no big thing. The motorcycle rider on the second bike that survived had no idea they were approaching the rear of a tractor ,all he saw was two rear tail lights. A flashing beacon could of saved a life that day.

 

[TheTallGuy]

When you watch a Motor bike go into the back of a tractor and see what’s left of his body after the emergency services remove various limbs that are jammed between the back wheel and mud guard then your understand why a flashing beacon is no big thing. The motorcycle rider on the second bike that survived had no idea they were approaching the rear of a tractor ,all he saw was two rear tail lights. A flashing beacon could of saved a life that day.

Going too fast if they didn't have time to properly assess the speed of the vehicle in front or not paying enough attention. It could just as easily have been any other type of vehicle that didn't require amber beacons going slowly.

 

[Norfolk Olly]

So with the new Highway Code rules advising cyclists to ride in the centre of rural roads, should they be fitted with a beacon

 

[davidroberts30]

So with the new Highway Code rules advising cyclists to ride in the centre of rural roads, should they be fitted with a beacon

No,bull bar on front links

 

[Bury the Trash]

No,bull bar on front links

No highest mounting point.......on their helmet

Beacon Helmet – World's first helmet with laser lights, indicator lights, and brake light

beaconhelmet.com

 

[Grassman]

When you watch a Motor bike go into the back of a tractor and see what’s left of his body after the emergency services remove various limbs that are jammed between the back wheel and mud guard then your understand why a flashing beacon is no big thing. The motorcycle rider on the second bike that survived had no idea they were approaching the rear of a tractor ,all he saw was two rear tail lights. A flashing beacon could of saved a life that day.

I agree it would help in circumstances like this and that's why they are compulsory on unrestricted dual carriageway but anyone should drive at a speed that gives them time to stop wherever they drive.

 

[Bury the Trash]

I agree it would help in circumstances like this and that's why they are compulsory on unrestricted dual carriageway but anyone should drive at a speed that gives them time to stop wherever they drive.

Yes thats a given , or should be
Often they dont though and seem unaware of any danger,yes with a beacon lights all on inlcuding wokr lights in daylight .
Ive done a lot of road hedgetrimming over that years and cars , bikes and lorries come at you like youre not there i got to the stage where decided to stop busy main road work it was too scary as i got older.
Not just around blind bends out on a straight, and ay case i always was covered by warning signs set out appropriately.
to be blunt if they want kill themselves by going regularly and habitually too fast for correct seeing and stopping time then that will be what it will be but its when they kill others in the process thats ....worse for want of a better way of putting it.

 

[Henarar]

Yes thats a given , or should be
Often they dont though and seem unaware of any danger,yes with a beacon lights all on inlcuding wokr lights in daylight .
Ive done a lot of road hedgetrimming over that years and cars , bikes and lorries come at you like youre not there i got to the stage where decided to stop busy main road work it was too scary as i got older.
Not just around blind bends out on a straight, and ay case i always was covered by warning signs set out appropriately.
to be blunt if they want kill themselves by going regularly and habitually too fast for correct seeing and stopping time then that will be what it will be but its when they kill others in the process thats ....worse for want of a better way of putting it.

trimming busy main roads is fine, once you have one car behind it soon turns to a lot more all going slow

 

[Om352]

Yes thats a given , or should be
Often they dont though and seem unaware of any danger,yes with a beacon lights all on inlcuding wokr lights in daylight .
Ive done a lot of road hedgetrimming over that years and cars , bikes and lorries come at you like youre not there i got to the stage where decided to stop busy main road work it was too scary as i got older.
Not just around blind bends out on a straight, and ay case i always was covered by warning signs set out appropriately.
to be blunt if they want kill themselves by going regularly and habitually too fast for correct seeing and stopping time then that will be what it will be but its when they kill others in the process thats ....worse for want of a better way of putting it.

I find like you the older I get the more concerned I am about something running into me at speed. I leave trimming a busy road that has two lanes but also a hard shoulder until early on a Sunday morning. You would think should leave you reasonably safe. Instead everything careers past you, trucks included, without slowing which is OK...... if they see you or your signs and flashing lights. Give me a narrow road any day, at least you're in control.

 

[feilding]

If anybody does hedgecutting on public roads and they put signs up they own the road, and can hold traffic up for up to 20 minutes, told this by the police,
Drivers can huff and puff all they like, even call police.
As long as there are signs up. And plenty of flashing beacons of coarse.