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After making our first trip to the continent last year when we spent a total of 5 weeks in France and thoroughly enjoyed it, we have decided to branch out a bit further and make our way to Italy at the end of the month. After reading the do's and don'ts in the CC caravan Europe 2 book it has come to my notice that an Aluminium Square warning Triangle (Plastic ones not recognised according to the CC)is required for the bike rack. Most sites I have tried to purchase one from say the Plastic ones are OK. Can anyone put me right on this ? Can I have a plastic one or does it need to be ali and also do I need one if I have no bikes on the rack as some sites state. The Alumininm ones seem a lot harder to get hold of and are 4 times the price
Thanks
Phil
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I believe that this is because the plastic ones are not reflective across the whole area, just the four reflectors. On the aluminium ones the whole board is made from reflective material.
Fiamma do one, if you have problems finding one, have a word with JCM.
For what it's worth we've been to Italy many times with the plastic one and no-one has noticed or complained. We've seen many Italian vans with plastic ones and wonder why Fiamma ( an Italian firm) would sell them if they were not legal in Italy. The aluminium one is quite a bit heavier than the plastic as well.
We don't put it on the van if we don't have the bikes on but we do use it in all countries - including UK- when we do have the bikes on. After all, it is intended to increase the visibility of the sticking out bikes and that is just as important in Oxford as in Orvieto !
There was a thread some time ago on the subject of which way up to position it for Europe and UK. We thought we'd got it right but we're not sure and no-one has ever questionned it.
G
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We have just got back from a tour that included Italy. I was a bit peeved to see that although I had the aluminium (and far more expensive) board that nearly everybody else, including Italian truckers, were using the plastic ones.
My understanding is that the stripes should slope down to the off-side for which ever country you are in.
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well you learn something new avery day. I was unaware that we had to put these boards on in a specific way.
3 weeks ago i was in Italy with a plastic board. No problems.
We travelled thro France Belgium Luxemburg Switzerland Germany and Italy on our trip. Not once was i checked for warning triangle beam deflecters spare specs. The gas was not checked to ensure it was turned off, or that we were carring illegal immigrants.
We did see many m/h with the plastic boards, no GB stickers or beam deflecters though.
Not once was i checked for warning triangle beam deflecters spare specs.
Dave P
I doubt anyone would check for the things you list Dave, we've certainly never been checked in 30 odd years. If however you have an accident and need to warn people you're stopped on the hard shoulder, if you break your specs and can't see to drive, you come across an accident and have nothing to give first aid with or try to put out the fire, THEN you would be glad you took the listed items with you.
We carry them in the car and the van in UK too, where it is not compulsary, simply because it makes sense.
I am also aware too that a stroppy policemen somewhere in Europe COULD stop us and ask to see a compulsary item and we would then have to pay the fine and endure the consequences. My command of foreign languages is not too awful but even I would not want to argue with a policeman !
Remember too that France anyway operates a Good Samaritan law which obliges anyone who is first on the scene of an accident to stop and give aid. You'd need the warning triangles, first aid kit and high viz jackets then.
G
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I too have learned a lot from this thread, so thanks everyone.
One further issue. I believe (though am not sure) that if you break down on the continent and get out of your vehicle with your hi-viz jacket in your hand ready to put on as soon as your feet hit the ground . . . you could, in theory be done.
I believe the law states that you must be wearing the jacket at all times while outside the vehicle.
Could anyone verify or otherwise clear up this point please. If I'm correct it only needs a bored or "jobsworth" police officer to be nearby and there goes another bundle of Euros!!
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