The Need For Reflective Chevron Panels
Looking for another way to add safety to your fleet? Consider installing reflective vehicle chevron panels on the rear sides of your vehicles. More than just the usual 2” reflective tape striping, chevron panels are typically 8” or 17” high and make a much more noticeable visual impact, especially for the van and pick up service fleets that typically run the gamut of landscaping, construction, emergency services, mining, etc. These vehicles are often parked at the side of the road in dark or dusky conditions with a possibility of distractions nearby such as fast moving traffic, another vehicular accident, parked EMS equipment, construction equipment, or construction barriers. This can confuse moving traffic and render your vehicle liable for a severe rear end collision.
Types Of Reflective Chevron Panels
Reflective chevron panels are made from high quality prismatic reflective sheeting, typically from a mainstream supplier like 3M or Oralite. This sheeting is a one color base color typically lime or yellow and overprinted with the contrasting color, which is usually red and in alternating stripes. They are nearly always fluorescent yellow and red – but that’s only because most folks only know of them in that color, and it’s what’s specified on emergency vehicles. It’s that true this is the majority of usage, however, nearly any color can be ordered. You might be drawing upon images in your mind of yellow and black on construction vehicles, blue and white on utility vehicles, and green and yellow chevron panels on outdoor service fleets. The colored stripes usually are always slanted and meet in the middle of the rear end of the vehicle. In Europe, the Battenberg Pattern, is popular – this consists of rectangular blocks of alternating color stacked in a brick pattern.
Installing Reflective Chevron Panels
In the past, installation of chevron panels was a very labor intensive process. A pre-printed strip of the stripes of your color choice would be ordered and when it arrived, it was time for tape measure-scissors-razor blade-and marker. Getting this “very large sticker” to fit around tail lights, vehicle emblems, vehicle body curves and not-straight edges was time consuming and fraught with expensive errors. Hence the arrival of chevron kits. Briargate Supply is happy to now offer completely pre-made chevron kits for the most common fleet vehicles. This includes:
- Ford Pickups – 150, 250, 350 series
- Chevy Silverados
- Dodge Rams
These pre-made reflective chevron kits are sized, cut, and printed ans come with cutouts that have already been made for vehicle emblems. Simply remove the backing, carefully align with your tailgate, press lightly to remove any air bubbles from bottom to top, and then apply firm adhesion across the entire piece with a plastic scraper.
Contact Briargate Supply
Do you have another vehicle need for the reflective chevron kits? Get in contact with Briargate Supply and we’ll be happy to develop one for your vehicle’s needs. We also carry a variety of reflective conspicuity tape products for trucks, trailers, rail cars, and reflect garments. Visit our online store to see what products we carry that can help your business!