What Is Chapter 8 Traffic Management?
Chapter 8 regulations are a code of practice put in place to ensure people who work on the highway, maintaining the roads, can carry out and complete their daily jobs safely.
What Is Chapter 8?
Chapter 8 is part of the official red book of highway codes and regulations in the Traffic Signs Manual issued by the Department for Transport.
The Traffic Signs Manual has been developed to offer guidance on the use of traffic signs and reflective road markings. Also known as traffic control, traffic management aims to direct and manage traffic safe and soundly benefiting both vehicles and people.
The code of practice is for the safety of people who work on the highway, such as:
- Operatives
- Supervisors
- Managers
- Planners
- Designers
The regulations and requirements should be followed to reduce the risk of injury or danger of operatives and the public. This is done by increasing the visibility of the obstruction through chevron markings for vehicles.
What are the Chapter 8 Requirements?
Chapter 8 requirements support the visibility of road and maintenance vehicles. A vehicle used for work purposes or for stopping on the motorway or any other high speed road requires Chapter 8 chevrons in order to meet the highway regulations.
- Design – This document gives guidance on ‘the design of temporary traffic management arrangements’ to ensure that safety measures are met and can be clearly identified by other road users and pedestrians. This includes signs, lighting and road markings.
- Operations – This document provides information on implementing, maintaining and removing any temporary traffic management arrangements that have previously been set up.
- Update – this document provides an update on changes made to the 2016 documentation, alongside new guidance for lane control and how it can be applied.
Who Created the Chapter 8 Regulations?
The regulations were created by the Department for Transport. They are responsible for creating policies and guidance for transport networks, as well as funding to English local authorities to run and maintain road networks, including public transport and freight travel.
When Does My Vehicle Need to be Chapter 8 Compliant?
If your vehicle is stopping, or in use for work purposes on any highway or high-speed roads, it should be Chapter 8 compliant. This is done by the use of reflective vehicle markings.
Section 05.2.3 of Chapter 8 part 2 of the Traffic Signs Manual specifies that vehicles stopping on high-speed roads should use the following specifications for chapter 8 van or car markings:
- Rear reflective markings on cars and vans should be upward facing chevrons in alternating red and yellow stripes.
- Each chevron stripe should be no less than 150mm in width and angled upwards between 45 and 60 degrees
- The red stripes are to provide maximum night visibility and therefore must be of retro-reflective material
- The yellow stripes should be non-reflective and fluorescent, contrasting with the red to provide sufficient daytime and dusk visibility.
- Without obscuring windows, lighting and reg plates, the chevrons should cover as much of the rear as possible.
The table below illustrates the recommended specification for chevron markings for vehicles by type for those driving on roads with a speed limit of above 40mph:
|
Vehicle Type |
Chevron Marking Specification |
|
Vehicles under 7.5 tonnes (typically cars and vans) operating and stopping on the public highway for work purposes |
|
|
Vehicles over 7.5 tonnes (this includes: spreaders, gritters, tippers and recovery trucks) operating and stopping on the public highway for work purposes |
|
|
All incident and mobile support units where the authority has not given a specification |
|
Whilst red and yellow chevrons are designed to offer greater conspicuity it is also acceptable for a complete covering of red retro-reflective material on the rear of the vehicle.
For those vehicles working on higher speed roads retro-reflective materials to class R3B should be used. For those working on low-speed roads under a 40mph limit it is acceptable to use Class R2 materials to meet the minimum retro-reflective requirements.
Please note Class R1 materials are not recommended for works vehicles.
For the full lowdown on all compliances, you can find the Chapter 8 part 2 of the Traffic Signs Manual here.
How Can I Comply With Chapter 8 Requirements?
For highway and motorway tradesmen, it is important you kit out your vehicle with a complaisant chevron kit. This will enable you to be fully conspicuous when on the roads and contribute to a safer working environment.
To meet Chapter 8 requirements, employers and employees must carefully read the handbook to ensure they are familiar with the government guidelines when it comes to road visibility and reflective vehicle markings.
All of our chevron kits are specifically templated with the best technology for accurate and bespoke design with fuss-free installation. This is why we are the leading supplier for chevron markings for vehicles.
It is also a requirement for additional maintenance signage for vehicles working on the roads or traffic vehicles carrying goods and personnel.
For busy working environments where safety is paramount, floor and wall safety signage is advised.
What are Chapter 8 Chevrons?
Chapter 8 chevrons are a combination of day and night conspucuity van or car markings designed to ensure that vehicles are highly visible on UK highways. They are used to protect both the driver and other road users through their reflective markings.
At Chapter 8 Shop, we supply everything your fleet needs to comply with the Chapter 8 guidelines. This includes chevrons that can be made to your custom size and signage covering an extensive range of vehicle makes and models.
Our chevron kits are designed with ease of application in mind, using only the highest quality and durable materials, keeping you safe on the roads.
What Chapter 8 Compliant Markings Are Available?
All our chevron kits fully comply with road visibility requirements laid out in Chapter 8 Part 2 of the Traffic Signs Manual. We are the only company in the UK to feature airflow technology, offering reduced risk of micro-bubbles and reduced application time.
We currently manufacture three grades of vehicle chevrons, and which one you’ll need will depend on the type of roads driven on. Read our guide below to find the right grade of chevron for your fleet.
Entry Grade (Engineering) Chevrons
- Easy to fit – featuring a self-assembly kit form
- Visibility of up to 400 metres
- Airflow technology - reducing risk of micro bubbles, decreasing application time and making decommissioning easier
- 3 years’ service life – as a minimum when applied correctly
Please note, our entry grade chevrons do not meet the legal requirements for Scotland and Wales and are not recommended for works vehicles.
Intermediate Grade Chevrons
These chevrons use microprismatic optical elements aligned in multiple directions to give a more uniform appearance.
- Minimum recommendation for vehicles stopping on highways with passing traffic of 50+ mph
- Class R3B – designed to meet colour and reflectivity requirements
- Meets legal requirements – the minimum for Scotland and Wales
- Easy to fit – featuring a self-assembly kit form
- Visibility up to 750 metres
- Airflow technology - reducing risk of micro bubbles, decreasing application time and making decommissioning easier
- 5 years’ service life – as a minimum when applied correctly
Premium Plus Grade Chevrons
- Specifically designed for motorway use
- Class R3B – designed to meet colour and reflectivity requirements
- Meets legal requirements – the minimum for Scotland and Wales
- Easy to fit – the highly flexible material allows for fitting in less time than other grade chevrons. Plus, our ready to install kits mean that we have already applied the yellow panels to the red and it can be fitted directly to your vehicle straight from the box
- Visibility up to 1,000 metres – exceeds the requirements set out by Chapter 8 of the Road Traffic Signs Manual and minimum requirements for Scotland and Wales
- Airflow technology - reducing risk of micro bubbles, decreasing application time and making decommissioning easier
- 5 years’ service life – as a minimum when applied correctly
Are Chapter 8 Chevrons Law?
Meeting the requirements set out in Chapter 8 of the Road Traffic Manual is currently not legislation in England however, the guidelines have been adopted as best practice by most organisations from local authorities to highway maintenance companies.
In Scotland and Wales Chapter 8 car and vehicle markings are a legal requirement.
As part of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, employers have duties towards both employers and members of the public.
Here at Chapter 8 Shop, we always recommend complying with the guidelines.
It is best practice to ensure your working vehicle and environment is fully complaint to Chapter 8 requirements to avoid the chance of danger.
All Chapter 8 chevrons are supplied with a 2-year warranty.
For more information on our grades and how to apply them, visit our how to videos for a demonstration.
Explore our range of Chapter 8 compliant markings or contact us if you require bespoke size chevrons.