# Marker boards



## SidT (May 9, 2005)

Hi. We now have a 4 bike rack on the back of the van, I have seen vans with marker boards and a lot without, what is the law on mainland Europe.
Cheers Sid


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

You are supposed to have one for Italy certainly and there was some discussion previously about the fact that it must be an aluminium board for Italy rather than plastic.

We have travelled many time to Italy with a plastic board and no-one has pulled us over. Vans do seem to use them there but we have seen some totally non-standard ones including a faded purple and pink striped number with no reflectors at all !

For the £4.50 you pay for one I think they are a good idea whenever you have bikes on the back, wherever you are. They do stop people walking into your bikes in car parks and encourage cars to keep their distance. They also make the back of the van even more visible in gloomy, wet conditions and that has to be a good thing.

G


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## kijana (May 1, 2005)

In Spain you must display a red & white diagonal marker board on any sticky outy bits on the back of your van.


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Only compulsory in Italy I think.

If you do a search on 'fiamma + board' it brings up a few previous posts on the subject.

pete

edit, sorry, that annoying advert link has come up with the fiamma bit :twisted:


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## mike800966 (May 1, 2005)

Slightly off this topic, but along the line of making the back of the vehicle more visible especially if broken down in wet or poor conditions,I have been wondering wether to invest in yellow flashing beacon to be used at the rear just in these situations, does anyone know of the Law on this? 

Saw some at soggy Newbury on Saturday at £5, I think.
A bit like a super hazard flasher?

Mike


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

mike800966 said:


> Slightly off this topic, but along the line of making the back of the vehicle more visible especially if broken down in wet or poor conditions,I have been wondering wether to invest in yellow flashing beacon to be used at the rear just in these situations, does anyone know of the Law on this?
> Saw some at soggy Newbury on Saturday at £5, I think.
> A bit like a super hazard flasher?
> Mike


Sounds like a good idea Mike - if legal. It is another thing to carry around however for the -hopefully- very unlikely chance you break down. You do have hazard lights. I've wondered about investing in better warning triangles. One of ours, bought to satisfy the regulation about carrying 2 in Spain- is a bit flimsy and would not really stand out in wet gloomy conditions.

Slightly off topic but this holiday we saw no less than 4 sets of policemen standing by the road or motorway side in different countries without any form of reflective jacket. Talk about "do as I say and not as I do " !

G


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## SidT (May 9, 2005)

G. We were recently travelling from the aire at Bavay to the one at Catillon sur Sambre when in a small village we were stopped on a roundabout by 4 police 1F & 3 M, plus 2 customs officials. they pulled us onto the pavement but we still blocked the road, they searched the van and asked if we had been to Belgium and did we have any wines, cigs or tobacco. the point is that none had reflective jackets.
Cheers Sid


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