Are you allowed to have orange beacons?

You have probably seen them along the road, an orange beacon. But when are you allowed to have orange beacons? And perhaps a more important question: when are you allowed to carry orange beacons? You might also wonder if there is a difference between LED and halogen beacons. Below you will find all the information needed to answer all these questions.

When are orange beacons allowed?

There is often still a lack of clarity about when you are allowed to carry a beacon. To avoid this, we have once again clearly listed all situations. You may use orange beacons in the following situations:

• When working with emergency assistance on or alongside the road with motor vehicles equipped for that purpose.
• Work related to the road, think of literal work on the road but also gritting in winter.
• In operations involving towing other vehicles.
• Escorting transport for which an exemption has been granted.
• When escorting military columns
• When driving limited-speed vehicles, think agricultural vehicles.
• Customs work.

When to use beacons on test?

When to use beacons on test is also a frequently asked question. The list above shows in which situations this is allowed.

Combination of orange and blue signalling lights

It is also possible to see a combination of the above colours on a vehicle on public roads. This is because many priority vehicles with blue flashing beacons are also covered with an orange variant. Here, the blue light is activated when the vehicle asks for priority from its road users and the orange variant is meant to indicate that the vehicle is in a dangerous spot. This colour is used in combination when the vehicle is stationary.

Do you need a permit to use orange beacons?

You may be wondering whether you need a permit to use orange beacons. No need to worry about this. In fact, you do not need a permit. Of course, orange beacons should only be used in the above situations. It is also important that the beacons have the correct certification.

Can you have orange flashing lights on public roads?

Not every orange beacon may be used on public roads. A beacon may only be used if it is R65 certified. If you use a flashing beacon on public roads that does not have this certification, you risk a fine.

Is orange the same as amber?

If you are looking for orange-coloured lighting, you have probably come across the term amber. Amber is in fact the name given to orange-coloured lighting. Amber comes from the English language and literally means amber. Amber has the familiar orange/yellow colour that you can recognise in lighting. So the colour amber is nothing more than the official name for the colour orange. So when you see this mentioned, you know that it simply means an orange-coloured light.

Other beacon colours

Besides orange beacons, there are of course other colours. Orange is by far the most common colour when it comes to beacons. Besides orange, you may have come across blue or green beacons. Abroad, it is also possible to come across red flashing lights. In the Netherlands, the emergency services do not use red flashing beacons.

Blue beacons

After orange, blue beacons are the most common. Blue lights are used by various emergency services. These include the police, fire brigade and emergency services. When a vehicle drives with blue beacons, it should also have reflective striping, letters, numbers or signs so that it is recognisable to other road users. It must be clear to every road user that a vehicle from one of the aforementioned sectors is passing by. You can read more about this in the article: can you have blue beacons?

Green beacons

The green beacons are already much less common compared to the blue ones. The green beacon may be used in addition to other lighting. The green colour should never be used with a moving vehicle. Only stationary vehicles may carry the green beacons. The green beacons are used to indicate the lead vehicle. This lighting too, like the blue ones, is only allowed for emergency services. You can therefore tell from the green lighting which vehicle belongs to the most senior officer involved.

Red beacons

In principle, you will not encounter red beacons in the Netherlands. However, some emergency services abroad still use red beacons. In the Netherlands, red beacons may not be used in traffic as this can cause dangerous situations. The red colour is normally only found on the back of a vehicle. When someone uses a red beacon, it is visible on all sides of the vehicle. This way, it is no longer clear to other road users in which direction the vehicle is driving. This can cause dangerous situations, which is why red beacons are prohibited in traffic in the Netherlands.

Orange(amber) beacons

You have undoubtedly come across orange beacons in traffic. After all, this is the most common colour. Many vehicles working on or alongside the road carry orange beacons. Unlike the other colour flashing lights on emergency vehicles, orange beacons have no right of way. So you do not have to give right of way to a vehicle displaying orange flashing lights.

Can you have orange beacons as a private person?

It is probably logical that private individuals are not allowed to use blue or green lights. After all, these are intended for emergency services. When other vehicles also start driving with green or blue lighting, it is no longer clear what kind of vehicle is approaching or standing still.

But what about orange beacons, may you have/carry orange beacons as a private person? The answer to this question is quite simple. The law states that passenger cars, with the exception of direction indicators, warning lights and brake lights for the purpose of the emergency stop signal, may not have any other flashing lights. This is stated in Article 5.2.64. Simply put, as a private individual, you are not allowed to have or carry orange beacons. If you do carry an orange beacon as a private individual, this will result in a fine.

R65 certification

A light needs an R65 certification before it can be used on public roads. A flashing light gets the certification when it can be seen at all angles. The light must be visible from twenty metres from the vehicle at a height of one and a half metres. If certain objects block the light of an orange beacon, for example, a second beacon must be fitted.

Do you suffer from interference? Is the light R10 certified?

A light can sometimes cause interference with other nearby equipment. Think about the radio in your car. This can interfere when you switch on the flashing light. Fortunately, there are certificates for this. Lamps are tested for this problem; when it is proven that the light does not cause any interference, it receives the R10 certification.

The R10 certification not only indicates that the light does not cause interference to other equipment. In fact, it also indicates that the light itself is not susceptible to interference. If you want to be sure that your orange beacon does not cause any interference, you should check whether the beacon is R10 certified.

Read our blog on radio jamming for more information on this.

Halogen vs LED beacons

Halogen and LED are the most common types of beacons. Below you will find information on the two different types of light.

Halogen flashing lights

A halogen light uses a stationary light. This light is surrounded by a mirror which moves the light in different directions. Of course, the mirror does not rotate by itself; a small electric motor allows the mirror to rotate. Because of the multiple actions, a halogen beacon quickly uses 70-90 watts. In addition, it is also true that the rotating parts wear out due to all the movements. These need to be replaced after some time.

LED beacons

LED beacons are increasing in popularity. This is because LED lighting has many advantages. An LED beacon can display both a rotating light and a flashing light. LED lighting consumes less power and lasts longer. There are no moving parts in an LED beacon that can wear out. There are powerful LEDS around a reflector incorporated in the beacon. Electronics control each LED separately, making multiple patterns possible.

TRALERT® LED beacons

TRALERT® has different colours and types of flashing beacons in its product range. In addition to orange beacons, blue, green and red beacons are also available. Most beacons within the range are coloured orange. All these lights can be mounted in different ways.

Ways of mounting

In total, TRALERT®'s LED beacons can be mounted in four different ways. There is a different option for every situation.

Fixed mounting

The first way to mount a flashing beacon on your vehicle is to attach it to the vehicle. This is usually done to the roof of the vehicle. Attaching it is then done using three bolts. With the three bolts, you attach the flashing light securely to the vehicle.

Flexible DIN mounting

The flexible DIN mounting is a very easy shape to fit. It also makes the beacon even more robust. This is because the flashing light is attached to a flexible stand. This allows the light to move with you, as it were. Replacing a light is also very easy with the DIN mounting. You can simply slide a light off the DIN bracket and then slide another or a new light back on.

Magnetic base/suction cup

Flashing beacons with magnetic base are also very easy to attach to a vehicle. The magnet ensures that the light sticks to the roof. The suction cup that comes with it further reinforces this. This ensures that the flashing light is even more firmly attached to your vehicle.

Single bolt mounting

The single bolt mounting is, as the name suggests, a way of attaching a flashing beacon with one bolt. Bolting works the same as fixed mounting. The only difference is the number of bolts. In fixed mounting, three bolts are usually used, in single-bolt mounting one. One bolt is enough to securely mount a flashing beacon to your vehicle.

In short, when to use an orange beacon depends mainly on the situation. Not everyone is authorised to use an orange beacon on their vehicle. Do you have any questions about one of our flashing beacons or about the use of flashing lights. Feel free to contact us and we will help you.

The TRALERT® choice

Below you can see our selection of ECE R65 approved orange flashing beacons.

Better Light Work Safer!