Many recovery operators now believe it is time that recovery vehicles had red safety beacons, as apposed to the current amber beacons.

Operators rightly point out that with amber beacons now used on anything from a refuse lorry to a construction vehicle, their impact has been diminished and many motorists fail to slow down when they see them, something that could have potentially fatal consequences for night time recovery work on busy roads.

The campaign for red beacons is certainly gathering pace in the UK, where a new on-line petition has been launched. This is a request on behalf of the breakdown and recovery industry operators asking for red beacons to be allowed to be fitted to operator vehicles, to help reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries from roadside working.

Although this is a UK petition, it is open to other signatories and it would be well worth Irish operators lending their support. A change in UK regulations would inevitably have an impact on the Irish market and would help improve safety here.

You can sign the petition by visiting  epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/26376.