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8. Traffic Management Equipment

8.1 Traffic Management Vehicles

It is recognised that traffic management operations, especially on high speed dual carriageways and motorways, require specially designed and adapted vehicles - standard production vehicles are generally not suitable.

All vehicles should be painted in a light or conspicuous colour (white or yellow), marked to be easily distinguishable from other vehicles and display "Motorway Maintenance" or "Highway Maintenance", as appropriate, to the rear in accordance with diagram 7404 of the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions.

All vehicles should have a minimum of two roof mounted amber beacons, with vehicles used in the implementation or removal of signing and coning having additional high intensity flashing lights to the rear. Care must be taken that beacons are not obscured by the load. Vehicles should also be fitted with a rotatable white spotlight to illuminate the back of the vehicle and/or adjacent work area during hours of darkness, but with care taken to avoid dazzle or distraction to other road users. Care should be taken that the desired impact of warning lights is not undermined by their indiscriminate use in inappropriate circumstances.

Drop-sided flatbed vehicles in the range 7.3t to 17t gross vehicle weight are highly suitable for use in the implementation and removal of signing and coning for traffic management arrangements which involve closing a live lane. The use of sign/cone trailers is not recommended on motorways and dual carriageways.

Vehicles for "maintenance and surveillance" of traffic management arrangements should be capable of transporting signs, cones and ancillary equipment but small enough to be manoeuvrable around site; 2t to 3.4t gross vehicle weight pickup type vehicles are suitable.

All vehicles used to support temporary traffic management activities should be well maintained and subject to daily checks to minimise the possibility of breakdowns during traffic management operations.

Vehicles for mobile lane closures should accord with the specific requirements of TD 49.

8.2 Traffic Signs

It is important that all items of equipment used for temporary traffic management fulfil their intended legal and informative function throughout the period they are in position. This applies to all signs, delineators, markings, traffic signal equipment and road danger lamps. The assessment of the condition of the equipment is dealt with in detail in Appendix D.