Read a notice today in a waiting room, apparently Norfolk and Suffolk police have started enforcing the old law that states that your lorry must be illuminated if stationary on a road or in lay by between dusk and dawn. Said that drivers were being given fixed penalty fines, anyone know any more? 
Thereās a whole thread on here about it. Using my mobile so canāt post a link but search and youāll find it.
Are the old tin paraffin lamps ,like there used to be at road works still about?
Hang one on the underrun bar and the jobs a good un. 
Probably some ā ā ā ā ā walked into a unlit truck whilst searching for the diesel tankā¦
Now we have to provide them illumination to steal our diesel!
DonutUK:
Probably some [zb] walked into a unlit truck whilst searching for the diesel tankā¦Now we have to provide them illumination to steal our diesel!
Lol health and safety rule 1,000,001. All thieves should be able to safely see what it is they are thieving.
Would be so simple to solve this problem but truck manufacturers are about as interested in their product once it leaves the factory as nothing.
Just do what most car manufacturers do .Leave the indicator stalk in the left or right turn position,turn off the ignition and it leaves the lights on on one side of the vehicle.With low current LED lighting on side markers on trailers there would be no problem of a flat battery in the morning and as an LED can be used as a light detector in reverse bias you could even use the opposite side markers to turn the buggers off when there is enough daylight for them to be switched off automatically so you could leave the truck unmanned.
I really can not see any validity in the argument that side lights will flatten batteries. I inadvertently left the side lights on my car on for 15 hours. Got back and everyone was giggling until I jumped in and it started on the first tryā¦ Thank ā ā ā ā as it is an automaticā¦
Iāve bored you all with my opinions on lay by parking before 
so Iāll keep it brief and just say thatā¦ If itās deemed necessary to park with lights it aint safe! More so if you NEED to pull in your mirrors , itās your brain trying (but evidently not always succeeding ) to tell you that it aint only not safeā¦ itās ā ā ā ā ā ā ā stupid!!
Maybe that is the point they are trying to put across to the hard of thinking amongst us
Robroy it isnāt always possible to find an ideal ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā , especially later in the evening. I donāt think many people would park in an unsuitable layby through choice.
grahamrfd:
Robroy it isnāt always possible to find an ideal ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā , especially later in the evening. I donāt think many people would park in an unsuitable layby through choice.
Donāt really want to get into another lay by parking argument as itās like ā ā ā ā ā ā ā against the wind with some on here, and some prefer them anyway although I fail to see why.
To answer your point a lot do just that as a first option, rather than look for suitable or even minimal facility parking, consequently truck drivers and car drivers have been killed BECAUSE of itā¦fact.
Say what you like 90% of lay bys are either filthy or dangerous or crime targets, or all three, and the government do nothing towards providing us with basic human rights in terms of sanitation, health and safety, and security, as they turn a blind eye, and are happy to continue this policy safe in the knowledge that drivers will continue to put up with it as normal.
As for me I refuse to use them on principle, but thatās just me, (unless thereās a pub in one ) and I always have managed to find somewhere to park for last 30+yrs.
trubster:
I really can not see any validity in the argument that side lights will flatten batteries. I inadvertently left the side lights on my car on for 15 hours. Got back and everyone was giggling until I jumped in and it started on the first tryā¦ Thank [zb] as it is an automaticā¦
Depending on the car, sidelights (plus number plate and instruments) will draw about 3 Amps - so your 15 hours parked up would use about 45A-hr of your batteryās total capacity (which is probably around 100 A-hr ?). Easily leaving enough to start the engine.
Now consider your unit & trailer. How many bulbs (sidelights, side markers, top markers, multiple bulbs in rear lights (same on trailer))? 20 bulbs? Thatās 100W or so which is going to draw 4 or 5 Amps. So again, 45-55 A-hr out of a total battery capacity of 200? 300 A-hr? Shouldnāt cause too many problems in the morning.
robroy:
grahamrfd:
Robroy it isnāt always possible to find an ideal ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā , especially later in the evening. I donāt think many people would park in an unsuitable layby through choice.Donāt really want to get into another lay by parking argument as itās like ā ā ā ā ā ā ā against the wind with some on here, and some prefer them anyway although I fail to see why.
To answer your point a lot do just that as a first option, rather than look for suitable or even minimal facility parking, consequently truck drivers and car drivers have been killed BECAUSE of itā¦fact.
Say what you like 90% of lay bys are either filthy or dangerous or crime targets, or all three, and the government do nothing towards providing us with basic human rights in terms of sanitation, health and safety, and security, as they turn a blind eye, and are happy to continue this policy safe in the knowledge that drivers will continue to put up with it as normal.As Robroy saysā¦ well said mate!!
I have several I use which are bits of old road set away from traffic with a pub at one end or the other. Otherwise in 33 years of four to seven nights out per week Iāve never had to use a roadside lay byā¦ donāt even like taking my break in them.
As for me I refuse to use them on principle, but thatās just me, (unless thereās a pub in one
Just a quick example.
A120 at 9.45 the other night, Stanstead services full, the small parking area on the 120 full, I have 40 min left on the clock so where do I go? As an owner driver I donāt like parking up when I have an hour or more driving time left. But I also object to paying Ā£21 to park on a service area where I am just as likely to get my curtains cut as I am parked at the side of the road. If Im parking up at 5 - 6 in the evening life is so much easier but that doesnāt happen too often unfortunately.
Get on the timber, I can remember my first night out in the woods I loved it! Iām now temporarily back on timber and still love it as much. No transit drivers (gypsy), no other wagon drivers, no facilities, no takeaways, no pubs, no noise, no light.
I can go for a run in peace. I can have a wash in the nearest burn (stream). Have a dump without listening to someone straining in the next cubicle. Eat my own home cooked food. Run the engine whenever I want. Donāt need to shut curtains.
And best of all, I donāt need sidelights on because no one will run in to me!
Stick your services up your starfish.
grahamrfd:
Robroy it isnāt always possible to find an ideal ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā , especially later in the evening. I donāt think many people would park in an unsuitable layby through choice.
Iāve been driving for 9 year tramping and not once have I had to park in a lay by as a last resort. I wont do it, I think the constant rocking of the truck and the thought someone could hit you at 40-56mph would cause me not to get a good nights kip.
grahamrfd:
Just a quick example.
A120 at 9.45 the other night, Stanstead services full, the small parking area on the 120 full, I have 40 min left on the clock so where do I go? As an owner driver I donāt like parking up when I have an hour or more driving time left. But I also object to paying Ā£21 to park on a service area where I am just as likely to get my curtains cut as I am parked at the side of the road. If Im parking up at 5 - 6 in the evening life is so much easier but that doesnāt happen too often unfortunately.
Industrial estate in Dunmow. Lorry park in Braintree. Quiet offset lay by on Chelmsford Rd.
Witham industrial estateā¦
Just saying like 
FLIP:
grahamrfd:
Just a quick example.
A120 at 9.45 the other night, Stanstead services full, the small parking area on the 120 full, I have 40 min left on the clock so where do I go? As an owner driver I donāt like parking up when I have an hour or more driving time left. But I also object to paying Ā£21 to park on a service area where I am just as likely to get my curtains cut as I am parked at the side of the road. If Im parking up at 5 - 6 in the evening life is so much easier but that doesnāt happen too often unfortunately.Industrial estate in Dunmow. Lorry park in Braintree. Quiet offset lay by on Chelmsford Rd.
Witham industrial estateā¦
Just saying like
Yeh, I thought of two of those and two more of my own, but I donāt always disclose certain parking places on here for fear of mess being left and us getting banned.
robroy:
FLIP:
grahamrfd:
Just a quick example.
A120 at 9.45 the other night, Stanstead services full, the small parking area on the 120 full, I have 40 min left on the clock so where do I go? As an owner driver I donāt like parking up when I have an hour or more driving time left. But I also object to paying Ā£21 to park on a service area where I am just as likely to get my curtains cut as I am parked at the side of the road. If Im parking up at 5 - 6 in the evening life is so much easier but that doesnāt happen too often unfortunately.Industrial estate in Dunmow. Lorry park in Braintree. Quiet offset lay by on Chelmsford Rd.
Witham industrial estateā¦
Just saying likeYeh, I thought of two of those and two more of my own, but I donāt always disclose certain parking places on here for fear of mess being left and us getting banned.
Bang on the money again Robroy.
I recently visited a āsecretā hideyhole of mine only to be greeted with a hedgerow full of litterand pee bottles. Iām guessing itāll be a no go before long
ā¦
Why do they do it? A cracking spot with good pubs