For a heavy vehicle breakdown, you must deploy reflective warning triangles to alert other road users of your stationary vehicle, placing one 50-150 meters behind the vehicle, one 50-150 meters in front, and one to the side of the vehicle or fallen load. On a one-way or divided road, the triangle in front isn’t required. The purpose is to provide ample warning, especially on high-speed roads or during low visibility, to prevent accidents.

Placement Guidelines

Rear Triangle:

Place the first triangle at least 50 meters but not more than 150 meters behind the vehicle or fallen load.

Side Triangle:

Place the second triangle on the side of the vehicle or fallen load to give adequate warning to other road users.

Forward Triangle:

Place the third triangle at least 50 meters but not more than 150 meters in front of the vehicle or fallen load.

Special Considerations

Divided or One-Way Roads:

If the vehicle is on a one-way or divided road, you only need to place a triangle at least 50 meters to the rear of the vehicle and one at the side. The triangle in front of the vehicle is not required in this scenario.

Visibility:

If the vehicle or fallen load is not visible for at least 200 meters in all directions, use three triangles.

High-Speed Roads:

On high-speed roads, it’s especially important to position the triangles well in advance of the breakdown to give oncoming traffic more time to react and adjust.

When to Use Triangles

You must use these portable warning triangles when a vehicle or its load has broken down and is not visible to other road users from a sufficient distance.