Be safe, be seen

Every year, needless crashes occur because drivers don't see other vehicles. Many of these crashes involve cars colliding with heavy vehicles such as trucks and trailers.

Lights and reflectors on trucks could prevent many of these crashes. Highly reflective conspicuity tape will make your heavy vehicle more visible and its shape more recognisable to other motorists. Reflective advertising can also improve vehicle visibility, as long as it doesn't divert attention away from lights and indicators.

Lighting requirements

Your vehicle must have:

• white or amber headlights and forward-facing side lamps
• red brake lights and tail lights facing towards the rear
• white or amber direction indicator lamps facing towards the front
• red or amber direction lamps facing towards the rear
• red rear reflectors
• a white rear registration plate light.

Your vehicle must not:

• use lights of any other colour than those listed above
• use or display any revolving lights without permission from Land Transport New Zealand
• be marked or displayed in any way that could confuse other motorists about which way your vehicle is facing
• display a sign that looks like a traffic sign
• display any markings that may make the vehicle look like an emergency service vehicle.

About retro-reflective material

One of the best ways to improve the visibility of a truck, trailer, coach or bus is to outline the front, rear and sides with retro-reflective material. This means that when another vehicle shines its lights on you, the light is reflected back at them.

The easiest and most effective way to outline your vehicle is to use retro-reflective tape, also called conspicuity tape. For this tape to be effective, it must be at least 50 mm wide and be kept clean.

Requirements for using retro-reflective tape

• The tape must bear either the DOT-C2 or E in circle mark.
• When used around lamps, it must be the same colour as the lamps.
• Use yellow or white/silver tape on the sides of your vehicle.
• Use yellow or white/silver tape on the front of your vehicle.
• Use red or alternating red and white/silver tape on the rear of your vehicle.

Last updated: 16 July 2006