Warning flag

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A signal flag or warning flag (incorrect, but partially wording of the regulations: signal flag or warning flag) is a flag for transmitting signals as well as warning and securing.

Rail transport

Railway signal flag

In the area of ​​the railway there is a small white flag with a red, sometimes orange, broad stripe in the middle. The flags are particularly to be found at marshalling yards or at gatekeepers and on signal boxes. They can be used to give the protection signal Sh3 (circle signal) to stop trains. Barriers can use them to secure the level crossing if the manual barrier system fails. In the event of failure, electrical level crossings are also briefly secured with guards (possibly train personnel) with warning flags ( Section 19 of the Road Traffic Regulations ).

Road traffic

§ 43 StVO provides a makeshift shut-off device u. a. white-red-white so-called "warning flags". The use of the flag is also specified in the guidelines for securing workplaces on roads (RSA Part A 3.2.3 warning flags). There people who use a warning flag are referred to as warning posts . Vehicles that carry loads that protrude beyond the design-related contour of the vehicle have to mark the load with a red flag in Germany.

Dimensions

The flag cloth is usually 50 × 50 cm in size, the staff is 80 cm long. Warning flags for loads on vehicles are 30 × 30 cm in size and have no staff.

Warning flags are used for:

  • Construction site protection (road maintenance, motorway maintenance, etc.)
  • additional signaling effect on snow plows (persons subject to safety regulations)
  • Deployment site protection ( fire brigade , THW etc.)
  • Securing and labeling a closed vehicle association (see below)

Convoy

If vehicles of the Bundeswehr or of authorities and organizations with security tasks ( disaster control , police, fire brigade, etc.) drive as a closed unit , this is indicated by means of triangular or square, colored warning flags on the left front of the vehicle ( motorcycles are excluded from this regulation. ).

The use of the colors is defined as follows:

colour use
Black and white divided diagonally Union leader who is not firmly in the column
blue First to penultimate vehicle of the association
green Last vehicle in the formation
yellow Defective / damaged vehicle
red Vehicle presenting an increased risk (e.g. when towing or if a particularly large amount of fuel is being carried)

shipping

Hurricane warning
flag (USA)

In maritime shipping, signal flags according to the International Signal Book are used, each of which represents a specific letter or number. A position, i.e. a set of signal flags, consists of 26 letter flags, ten number flags, three to four auxiliary columns for character repetitions and an answer / signal book flag , see flag alphabet . There is also a winker alphabet in which the position of the two flags held by the signal guests with outstretched arms each represents a letter or a number. In the past there were special flags for this purpose, today the flags "O" of two signal flags are used. The winker alphabet is practically no longer in use outside of the navy. In both systems the messages are encoded according to the International Signal Book for faster transmission.

In addition to the signal flags, monochrome flags, for example red and green, are used as visual signals in maritime shipping . There are no explicit signal flags in inland navigation. Here, too, single-colored flags are used as visual indicators. A red flag waved back and forth denotes inability to maneuver , waved in a circle it or any other object serves as an emergency signal .

Motorsport

In motorsport, flags are used to communicate on racetracks between the race management, the sports officials and the participants. The flag signs are used by the race management and the sports officials to warn the participants of dangerous situations or to intervene in the run. In addition, the flag signs from vehicles of the race control, z. B. to block or unblock the route or in the lead vehicle. The flags can be held still or waved, shown individually or doubled, or they can be supplemented by boards with further information.

The use of the flags is usually decided by the trained sports warden on their own due to the acute situation; in Formula 1 , the flag signs are now instructed directly from the race management and transmitted electronically to the driver's cockpit at the same time . Alternatively, reflective signs or, in Formula 1, so-called electronic flags are used at night races.

Web links

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