Do the "checkerboard squares" on European emergency vehicles (police, ambulances) have an official name? Is their design (colors, size, shape) based on a study or theoretical principle, and if so, what?
2007-01-05 05:09:06 · 3 answers · asked by romulusnr 5 in Travel ➔ Europe (Continental) ➔ Other - Europe
I was sure I'd seen a news photo recently of a non-UK PD or ambulance that had blue and yellow checker marks. That's why i picked continental.
2007-01-05 06:27:50 · update #1
The official name for this checkered design is "Battenburg" (also referred to as "Battenberg".)
The theory behind this alternate blocks of colour design is that it is the most easily visible colour/pattern, in a range of conditions, in the day and at night, in all weather conditions.
Battenburg on emergency vehicles was indeed rolled out in Europe first and is fast becoming an international standard for emergency vehicles.
2007-01-06 01:00:04 · answer #1 · answered by scedex 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2016-08-30 07:41:19 · answer #2 · answered by Fausto 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not all european countries have checkerboard squares on their emergency vehicles. As far as I know, that's only in the UK? I guess it is useful to get attention, but I don't know if there has been a study about that. Anyway I've seen it in the UK. Here in germany the police has green-white-striped cars (in Hamburg and very few places blue-white). There are also a few totally green cars for police (no white stripes). Firefighters have red vehicles. Ambulance has often white cars with red stripes. The new ones with neon red stripes.
A few pictures: (German police)
http://www.polizeidarmstadt.de/Polizeiauto_neu.jpg
(ambulance:) http://www.nordkehdingen.de/UPLOADS/Feuerwehr/Rettungswagen.jpg
2007-01-05 06:09:54 · answer #3 · answered by crystal 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋