07740 822301 admin@jbdl.co.uk

Vehicle Avoidance Lateral Lamp (VALL)

VALL – THREE Functions

  1. The ‘slow-speed’ light facility operates automatically through the control box. Once the ignition is turned ‘ON’ – the VALLs will come ‘ON’. The lights will stay on until the vehicle reaches a speed above 25kph, when the VALL will turn ‘OFF’. Once the speed of the vehicle drops down to below 16kph, the VALL will turn back ‘ON’. The idea behind this function is to offer an ‘area of high risk’ prompt, in stop/start slow moving conditions, to those road users nearing close proximity to the vehicle (daylight intensities permitting) and is pertinent to Highway Code changes that were implemented in the UK from 29.01.2022.
  2. The VALL also operates from the vehicle light switch. If the driver activates the vehicle lights, the VALL will come on. This operation assists the driver during normal driving activities when lighting conditions deteriorate. It also highlights the presence and the ‘area of high risk’ surrounding the vehicle, where extreme vigilance is required by other road users, especially in poorer visibility such as fog or heavy spray or rain in faster traffic conditions etc.
  3. The VALL can also flash during the vehicle indication cycle. This is in line with the UN Regulation 48 where the ‘side marker light’ is permitted to flash from November 2017. This is an immensely helpful visual prompt especially for cyclists and pedestrians that may be in proximity of the vehicle/trailer in urban areas especially when lighting conditions deteriorate. The footprint, when flashing on the ground is more conspicuous to all road users, giving an additional warning that the vehicle is about to change direction or turn.

The VALL(s) fitted along the sides of the vehicle/trailer are not just a warning to other road users to steer clear, they also remind VRU’s of their own safety obligations of not getting too close, by keeping the ‘area of high risk’ unobstructed. Globally, we all have a responsibility and obligation to ensure each others safety by staying safely distanced from each other.