Accident Scene Safety Using Reflective Circles, Dots, Squares, Octagons – Free Samples
Emergency crews responding to an accident scene at night place themselves in great danger. Especially in high traffic areas. Reflective tape on emergency vehicles can increase their visibility and make passing cars more aware of their presence. In many situations vehicles responding at an accident scene will have diamond plate or tread plate covering the rear of the vehicle. Reflective dots can be used on these surfaces to create conspicuity, thus keeping firefighters and emergency responders safe.
Our online store, www.reflectiveshapes.com sells a variety of reflective shapes that can be used to make diamond plate more visible at night. We recommend the 3/4″ circles, octagons, appliqué overlays that cover 4 sections at one time and our chevron strips that cover 6 sections at one time. The best way to try these shapes is to get our free sample pack. For a free sample you can email me at steve@reflectivestore.com or call 850-934-3157.
The image above shows our Reflective Chevron Strips. These strips are custom cut to fit around the diamonds. We have a Style “A” and a style “B” to accommodate two diamond plate configurations. Style “A” is for diamonds that are right at 1″ apart tip to tip. Style “B” are for diamonds that are 1/16″ under an inch apart tip to tip. Testing out the strips before you buy is especially important.
One of the most popular ways of making diamond plate or tread plate reflective is to apply 3/4 inch dots or circles into the flat area between the diamonds. This is a simple process and takes just a few seconds per dot for installation. Round shapes are easier to apply than squares because they do not need to be edge aligned to look right. Simply centering them is all that is necessary. Also, make sure to press them on well as you apply. Especially around the edges.
The NFPA 1901 standard calls for red and yellow chevron stripes to cover 50% of the rear of the fire truck or apparatus. For non NFPA applications, other color combinations can be used. Stripes need to be 6″ wide and are to slant downward and out 45 degrees. Placing 6 dots side by side creates a 6″ stripe.
3/4 inch dots can be used on virtually all types of diamond plate. There just needs to be a flat area for them to lay.
Reflective Octagons for Creating Chevron Striping on Diamond Plate to Comply with NFPA 1901 or 1917 (online store)
One of our more popular shapes is the Octagon. Its angled sides line up well with the diamonds which make it easy to line up. It also provides more coverage than standard 3/4″ dots. It fits most diamond plates that look like the one below. To apply, simply peel, position and press on.
We recommend that you email or call us for a free sample pack so that you can test the different shapes on your diamond plate. My email is steve@reflectivestore.com and our phone number is 850-934-3157.
As with all of our reflective shapes, our octagons are cut from Orafol/Reflexite V98 Prismatic sheeting. This is a monolithic patented material that will not delaminate like other films. In other words, Reflexite films do not come apart. It is the only film we recommend for emergency vehicle applications. Our octagons are repositionable during installation which means you can remove and replace them while you are installing. Once installed they build adhesion over time.
Reflective Overlays Appliques for Diamond Plate (online store)
Our Fluorescent Lime Yellow and Red diamond plate overlays make complying with the NFPA 1901 chevron striping standard much easier when diamond plate is part of the rear of a fire truck.
These simple shapes are designed to fit most standard diamond plates or tread plates. They are cut from Orafol / Reflexite V98 material. V98 material is tough, flexible and repositionable which makes them easy to apply and long lasting.
The image above shows the shapes and demonstrates how the center part is removable if desired. Leaving the center in is fine but you would need to be careful when you pressure wash as they will be sitting up higher than the rest of the decal. Most people remove the center and leave the diamond exposed.
This is a custom designed shape and covers more surface area than dots or squares. Also, because the shapes cover 4 sections at a time the installation time is greatly reduced.
Make sure to also check out our “Chevron Strips” for diamond plate on this site.
New Product ! – Reflective Chevron Strips for Diamond or Tread Plate (online store)
Our Reflexite V98 reflective “Chevron Strips” make creating 6″ wide alternating red and fluorescent lime chevrons on diamond plate quick and easy. Plus they give much more coverage than other shapes which means your chevrons are brighter and you are safer. The little reflective strips cover 6 spaces at one time thus making installation many times faster than dots. Our custom designed shapes are made from Reflexite/Orafol V98 conformable prismatic sheeting. This material is made specifically for emergency vehicle striping and lettering.
To apply the chevron strips you simple peel them off of the wax sheet, position them on the diamond plate and press on. It only takes a few seconds per decal and you are covering 6 spaces at one time. This method is about 4 times faster than reflective dots. It also creates a much cleaner stripe. Also, the coverage rate is almost double when compared to a 3/4″ dot giving you a much brighter chevron pattern.
Reflexite V98 is easy to work with. It features a repositionable adhesive that allows you to remove and replace the decal during installation. Once installed the decals build adhesion over time. The material is also conformable which means that it will stretch a little if necessary. This feature allows it to mold itself to surfaces that most tapes would not work on.
The “Chevron Strips” are priced by the square foot. One square foot of coverage or 24 strips runs $18. To calculate how many square feet you need just measure the height and width of the areas you wish to stripe and multiply. More information can be found at www.reflectiveshapes.com. To get a sample pack of our diamond plate reflective shapes just email me at steve@reflectivestore.com or call me at 850-934-3157.
