A new law is introduced in France mandating the use of ECE70 Amendment 1 rear marker plates.

What is the new law?

France has as one of the first and foregoing countries in Europe now mandated the use of reflective rear marking plates approved to regulation ECE70 amendment 1 (Arrêté du 22 octobre 2004 modifiant l’arrêté du 16 juillet 1954 relatif à l’éclairage et à la signalisation des véhicules). Compared to rear marker plates used in the past, these new plates require a significantly higher degree of reflectivity, making them visible from a much longer distance than the old plates. The reflective material on this new type of market plates must be prismatic.

 

All new registrations must have the new plates as of 1st April 2005, and all circulating trucks & trailers must comply before 1st April 2006.

 

What to look for before buying the new plates

 

But before blindly changing your current rear marker plates, it is worth considering, that there are actually several things to look for in a new set of plates. For your own benefit it is not enough to know that the plates comply to the new law – it is also nice to know that your investment will actually continue to both function and look good after years of exposure to impacts, numerous power washings, solvents etc.  What it all depends on is really which reflective material the manufacturer of your rear marker plate has used, as the reflective foil on the plate is the plates most important but also typically most fragile component.

 

The most durable reflective film you will find, is what is called a single layer film. It just means that the reflective film consists of one layer only, where other reflective films consist of 2 layer bonded together in some form of a pattern. Two layer products are obviously more sensitive, as there is a risk of dirt and water ingress between the layers, and being also a thicker film there is also a significantly increased risk of edge damaging during power washing.

 

 
Reflexite and Mazon at this year’s Solutrans

To get a personal introduction to the new rear marker plates, visit the Reflexite and Mazon stands at the upcoming Solutrans exhibition in Lyon