Some of the fellas who drive these things make me chuckle.
I see one on the A413 near Amersham today.
A nice shiny DAF SuperSpace cab with light bars top and bottom.
Headlights on.
Beacons flashing ten to the dozen.
He was only carrying a mini digger.
I did laugh.
A bit of overkill methinks.
maybe a noob to low loader or worse a jobs worth 
I often think the same about recovery vehicles. Why do they feel the need to drive down the road with all their beacons flashing away just because they’re towing a ford focus. Even more annoying when they’re giving a piggy back.
Steve66:
Some of the fellas who drive these things make me chuckle.
I see one on the A413 near Amersham today.
A nice shiny DAF SuperSpace cab with light bars top and bottom.
Headlights on.
Beacons flashing ten to the dozen.
He was only carrying a mini digger.
I did laugh.
A bit of overkill methinks.
Maybe its to make sure planks on the road can actually see him and his low trailer?
I drive a rigid and move FLT’s the guy in our yard found a kiddies play pram dumped in the skip so I strapped the pram on the back and set off out the yard with my beacons flashing, raised a few eyebrows in the office and a few smiles on the yard, I was only going around the block to get in the other gate
You quite often see Tonka toys strapped on the back of empty flat beds and low loaders over this side of the pond
newmercman:
You quite often see Tonka toys strapped on the back of empty flat beds and low loaders over this side of the pond
Hmmm, ideas
Is there some kind of law relating to flashing lights and loaded low loaders and recovery vehicles?
Not sure if there is a law regarding flashing lights but there should be.Most of the time they are more a distraction than anything else especially at night.I drove a low loader a few years ago and only used them when absolutely necessary,
I think it makes the drivers feel important or something… 
albion1971:
Not sure if there is a law regarding flashing lights but there should be.Most of the time they are more a distraction than anything else especially at night.I drove a low loader a few years ago and only used them when absolutely necessary,
I think it makes the drivers feel important or something…
No. Technically the only vehicles allowed to have amber beacons are:
(i)a road clearance vehicle;
(ii)a vehicle constructed or adapted for the purpose of collecting refuse;
(iii)a breakdown vehicle;
(iv)a vehicle having a maximum speed not exceeding 25 mph or any trailer drawn by such a vehicle;
(v)a vehicle having an overall width (including any load) exceeding 2.9 m;
(vi)a vehicle used for the purposes of testing, maintaining, improving, cleansing or watering roads or for any purpose incidental to any such use;
(vii)a vehicle used for the purpose of inspecting, cleansing, maintaining, adjusting, renewing or installing any apparatus which is in, on, under or over a road, or for any purpose incidental to any such use;
(viii)a vehicle used for or in connection with any purpose for which it is authorised to be used on roads by an order under section 44 of the Act;
(ix)a vehicle used for ■■■■■■ purposes when travelling at a speed not exceeding 25 mph;
(x)a vehicle used by the Commissioners of Customs and Excise for the purpose of testing fuels;
(xi)a vehicle used for the purpose of surveying;
(xii)a vehicle used for the removal or immobilisation of vehicles in exercise of a statutory power or duty;
But this legislation is 60 years old so a ■■■■ is not given.
Occasionally I forget to turn mine off when leaving a site but I’ve got a nice bright LED on the switch so it doesn’t happen often. My old truck had a light bar on the top rather than LED’s on the front, the rotators were so loud you’d never forget them
I was always told to use beacons when using a spec lift
nearly there:
I was always told to use beacons when using a spec lift
Why? As long as you have a light board it’s no different to towing a trailer.
I remember being stuck behind a crane at dawn on the M25 in traffic. 30 minutes of flashing beacons meant I had to pull over and stop for a bit for my eyes to get back to normal. No reason they can’t be turned off in stop start traffic.
2" overhang and thats it the flags n banners come out over here. It’s a pain
It will be for you Taffy, you got banners and flags for the overhang above your waistband llol (Welsh for lol)
I dont know why but as the owner said,i did it.
I used beacons the other day, taking a cabin down to devon.
Only used them when necessary as a warning to other traffic as there was a small overhang and the roads were slightly less than 2 cars widths in places. When there was plenty of room I switched them off.
The monkeys:
I used beacons the other day, taking a cabin down to devon.Only used them when necessary as a warning to other traffic as there was a small overhang and the roads were slightly less than 2 cars widths in places. When there was plenty of room I switched them off.
There was one the other week heading S M5 had all his stuff on, Not a problem you say,
Out size markers all there and illuminated not a problem. The Big problem was the Strobe Amber Markers on the wide load markers whilst driving at 55 FFS it was like sitting behind a Plod car with all his lights on 
If they gotta have all these lights on then surely they need to travel at a speed to allow others to pass (50) so not keeping some poor sod behind for miles and miles having their eyeballs melted and I mean they were BRIGHT
Passed a Volvo pulling a rock crusher on the M25 earlier. All within confines of his vehicle but had full beacons/front fogs blazing away. Maybe it was just for all the mud he was leaving all over the carriageway!
some low loaders I know of have strobes or beacons on the ramps at the back wired into the sidelights, to save wiring all the units with similar switches. problem is they flash even if empty.