Can I combine colours?

Yes, as long as each side stays within the permitted colours: side white or yellow, rear red or yellow.

Does colour count at inspection?

Yes, a non-permitted colour makes the marking non-compliant and can be a failure point.

Which colours may contour marking be?

The colour of contour marking is not a matter of taste but part of the approval. The wrong colour makes the marking non-compliant, even if the tape itself is approved and in the right place.

The rule by side

Side: white or yellow.
Rear: red or yellow.
White is not permitted at the rear.

Why white is not allowed at the rear

Colour gives other road users directional information. White light belongs to the front of a vehicle, red to the rear. White at the rear would suggest you are looking at a front while the vehicle is moving away. That is why red or yellow at the rear is the norm.

Many fleets choose yellow all round. Yellow is permitted on both the side and the rear, so you keep one colour for a uniform look and simple stock.

Yellow or white on the side?

Both are permitted. Yellow reads a little warmer at night and matches the rear if you go yellow all round. White gives a more neutral look. The choice is free as long as the side stays white or yellow.

Colour is a functional vehicle code

R48 permits white or yellow conspicuity marking on the side and red or yellow at the rear. Yellow can therefore be used around the vehicle, while white does not belong at the rear. Confirm that the selected colour is included in the approval for the exact product.

Reflective advertising or graphics inside a contour are a separate use from the required line. Do not mix the rules for Class C contour marking with the material classes used for graphics.