Battenburg markings
Markings used on emergency vehicles
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Battenburg markings or Battenberg markings[a] are a pattern of high-visibility markings developed in the United Kingdom in the 1990s and currently seen on many types of emergency service vehicles in the UK, Crown dependencies, British Overseas Territories and several other European countries including the Czech Republic, Iceland, Sweden, Germany, Romania, Spain, Ireland, and Belgium as well as in Hong Kong and Commonwealth nations including Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Trinidad and Tobago, and more recently, Canada. The name comes from its similarity in appearance to the cross-section of a Battenberg cake.[1][2]
History
Battenburg markings were developed in the mid-1990s in the United Kingdom by the Police Scientific Development Branch (which later became the Home Office Centre for Applied Science and Technology) at the request of the national motorway policing sub-committee of the Association of Chief Police Officers. They were first developed for traffic patrol cars for United Kingdom police forces; private organisations and civil emergency services have also used them since then.
The brief was to design a livery for motorway and trunk road police vehicles that would maximise the vehicles' visibility, from a distance of up to 500 metres (1,600 ft), when stopped either in daylight or under headlights, and which distinctively marked them as police vehicles.[3]
The primary objectives were to design markings that:[4][5]
- Made officers and vehicles more conspicuous (e.g. to prevent collisions when stopped)
- Made police vehicles recognisable at a distance of up to 500 metres (1,600 ft) in daylight
- Assisted in high-visibility policing for public reassurance and deterrence of traffic violations
- Made police vehicles nationally recognisable
- Were an equal-cost option compared to existing markings
- Were acceptable to at least 75% of the staff
Conspicuity
Battenburg design uses a regular pattern and the contrast between a light and a dark colour to increase conspicuity for the human eye. The lighter colour is daylight-fluorescent (such as fluorescent-yellow) for better visibility in daytime, dusk and dawn. For night-time visibility, the complete pattern is retroreflective.
The Battenburg design typically has two rows of alternating rectangles, usually starting with yellow at the top corner, then the alternating colour, along the sides of a vehicle. Most cars use two block rows in the design (so-called full-Battenburg scheme). Some car designs use a single row (so-called half-Battenburg scheme) or one and a half rows.
Unless precautions are taken, pattern markings can have a camouflage effect, concealing a vehicle's outline, particularly in front of a cluttered background.[6][7] With Battenburg markings, this can be avoided by:[8]
- Making rectangles large enough for optical resolution from distance—at least 600 × 300 mm.[3] A typical car pattern consists of seven blocks along the vehicle side. (An odd number of blocks also allows both top corner blocks to be the same fluorescent colour.)
- Clearly marking cars' outlines in fluorescent colour along the roof pillars
- Avoiding designs with more than two block rows (even for higher vehicles) by including a large area of plain or daylight-fluorescent colour.
- Avoiding hybrid designs of Battenburg markings and other high-visibility patterns or check patterns.[4]
The Battenburg livery is not used on the rear of vehicles; upward-facing chevrons of yellow and red are most commonly used there.
Sillitoe tartan
_Evoke_sedan,_Victoria_Police_(2015-01-02).jpg)
In the development of Battenburg markings, one of the key goals was to clearly identify vehicles associated with police. In this regard, the pattern was reminiscent of the Sillitoe tartan black-and-white or blue-and-white chequered markings first introduced by the City of Glasgow Police in the 1930s, which were subsequently adopted as a symbol of police services throughout the United Kingdom; they are also used by the Chicago Police Department, Australia,[9] and on the New Zealand Police uniform.
Many police services have since phased out the Sillitoe tartan markings on vehicle liveries as they are not highly visible, replacing them with Battenburg markings. Although many police services such as the New Zealand Police still use reflective Sillitoe tartan markings on their uniforms to be easily identified and seen at night.[10]
Safety
_Nationaal_Defilé_2018.jpg)
Battenburg side markings and chevron front-and-rear markings provide conspicuity for emergency vehicles, helping to reduce accidents, especially when they are in unusual traffic situations—e.g. stopped in fast-moving traffic, or moving at different speeds or in different directions.
Several criticisms of the Battenburg scheme were stated at the 3rd Annual US Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Safety Summit in October 2010 about their use on ambulances, including:
- The difficulty of applying them to small, curved, and oddly shaped surfaces
- The high costs of adopting the markings
- The confusing pattern caused when several parked Battenburg vehicles visually overlap
- Obscuring the vehicle's shapes against complex backgrounds, or with open doors and hatches
- Combinations other than police yellow-and-blue being less effective, and sometimes even making emergency personnel harder to see
- Confronting the public with unfamiliar markings
The pattern's use by services other than UK police, and in other countries, was also criticised.
The high-visibility chevrons often used on the rear and front of Battenburg-marked vehicles, "through popular opinion rather than by a scientific process of testing and research", were found ineffective at reducing rear-end collisions. Stationary vehicles on high-speed roads were likely to be noticed, but not the fact that they were stopped. Parking at an angle was found a far more effective way of indicating the vehicles were stopped.[4]
Usage by country
Australia
In Western Australia, St John Ambulance Western Australia uses green-and-yellow markings, while New South Wales Ambulance uses red-and-white Battenburg markings on ambulances and patient transport vehicles.[11] Australian police utilise the similar Sillitoe tartan markings.
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Several police forces | White and blue | _TX_RWD_wagon,_Victoria_Police_(2015-01-03).JPG) |
 |
St John Ambulance Western Australia | Yellow and green | _313_CDI_MWB_van,_St_John_Ambulance_(2017-12-09).jpg) |
 |
New South Wales Ambulance
Transport Inspectors |
Red and white |  |
 |
South Australian Country Fire Service
Transport Inspectors |
Yellow and red | |
 |
State Emergency Service | White and orange |  |
| New South Wales Rural Fire Service | Red and lime green[12] | Link to image | |
| Transport for NSW traffic emergency patrol | Yellow and purple |  | |
| Transport for NSW traffic signals and repairs crews | White, grey, blue and green |  | |
| Transport for NSW Road Safety Research | White, gray and orange | Link to image | |
 |
VicRoads enforcement vehicles
Volunteer rescue squads |
White and green | Link to image
|
 |
National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) vehicles
Marine Rescue NSW |
Yellow and blue | Link to image
|
| Safe Transport Victoria enforcement vehicles | White, sky blue and navy blue | ||
| Victoria Police Public Order Response team | Black and white | .jpg) | |
| Main Roads Western Australia Compliance and Enforcement vehicles | White and turquoise | Link to image | |
| OPSTAR Aviation Response | Link to image | ||
| Main Roads Western Australia Transport Compliance and Traffic Escort vehicles | White and purple | Link to image | |
 |
Victoria Police Alcohol & Drug Testing | Sky blue and Navy blue | Link to image |
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.jpg)
Barbados
The Barbados Police Service uses yellow-and-blue half-Battenburg markings on most of their fleet. However, some police vehicles in Barbados use white-and-blue half-Battenburg markings.
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Barbados Police Service | Yellow and blue |  |
|
Barbados Police Service | White and blue |  |
Belgium
_Nationaal_Defilé_2018.jpg)
In response to the terrorist attacks on 13 November 2015 in Paris and 22 March 2016 in Brussels, the Belgian federal government conducted an analysis on the functioning of the emergency services during terrorist attacks. The main issue identified regarding the emergency medical services was that their recognizability (of both vehicles and personnel) had to improve, so that emergency workers would be able to identify qualified medical providers more quickly during an intervention.
An agreement was made between the federal government and the communities and regions to implement the same new vehicle markings and uniforms. Specifically, emergency ambulances and response vehicles would keep the yellow base colour, whilst non-emergency ambulances would get a white base colour. Both types of vehicles would be marked with retroreflective yellow-and-green Battenburg markings, similar to British ambulances.
A new uniform for medical personnel was also introduced, with different colours for the Star of Life for the different types of workers.[13]
Aside from medical vehicles, some new fire brigade, Civil Protection and highway services vehicles also use respectively yellow-and-red, blue-and-orange and yellow-and-black Battenburg markings.
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Emergency medical services | Yellow and green |  |
|
|
Police[14] | Yellow and blue | _(cropped).jpg)
|
|
Fire services
Lifeguard |
Yellow and red | 
|
 |
Roadside assistance
Taxicabs in Brussels |
Yellow and black | Link to image
|
 |
Belgian Civil Protection | Orange and blue |  |
Canada
In Canada, Battenburg markings on law enforcement vehicles are uncommon. However, in recent decades, Canada has slowly integrated some Battenburg markings on EMS vehicles, particularly in Ontario and Quebec.
_(cropped).jpg)
Battenburg markings are used on plough trucks for transport and infrastructure in some parts of Canada, primarily on the back to increase visibility and alert people driving on a highway during poor road conditions that there is a plough truck in use and they must slow down. The general colour scheme for a snowplough's rear reflective panel is yellow-green and black.[15]
Ontario
The parts of Ontario that utilize Battenburg markings, which are generally used by EMS vehicles, include the Region of Niagara,[16] Greater Sudbury,[17] Peterborough,[18] Lanark County,[19][20] and Frontenac County.[21]
Battenburg markings on police vehicles are not a common sight. The first regional police service to ever officially use Battenburg markings on its vehicles was the St. Thomas Police Service when it tested its new police interceptors with Battenburg markings, which were inspired by the UK's Battenburg design with the familiar blue and yellow reflective markings, in order to help enhance visibility within the city.[22][23]
The Barrie Police Service later took a similar approach to redesigning its vehicle wraps, which was announced on 26 July 2022, when it unveiled a half-Battenburg marked police cruiser as part of a pilot project to evaluate its visibility within the community.[24] This design featured the same blue and yellow reflective markings as those seen on many European police cars.[25][26][27] As of 12 May 2023, the Barrie Police Service has officially adopted half-Battenburg markings on all of their fleets, eliminating stealthy dark navy body-colored vehicles and replacing them with white instead.[28]
During the autumn of 2023, the Cobourg Police Service (CPS) announced it would be the third police service in Canada to adopt Battenburg markings.[29] A high-visibility Ford Explorer police vehicle with the markings is to be used by the service as part of a pilot project for 24 months.[30]
Quebec
In Quebec, Battenburg-style markings are used on various EMS vehicles, though some of the markings are reminiscent of Sillitoe tartan.
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Barrie Police Service
Cobourg Police Service (pilot project) St. Thomas Police Service (pilot project) Lanark County Paramedic Service (Ambulance/EMS)[31] |
Yellow and blue |  |
 |
Peterborough County-City Paramedics (Ambulance)[34] | Orange and blue | |
 |
Niagara Region EMS (Ambulance/EMS) | Oxford blue and green |  |
|
Provincial Transportation and Infrastructure (Snowplow)[35][36] | Yellow and black |  |
|
Greater Sudbury Paramedic Services (Ambulance/EMS)[37]
Québec Urgences-santé/Health Emergencies (EMS vehicles, optional)[38] |
White and blue |  |
 |
Québec Urgences-santé/Health Emergencies (EMS supervisor vehicles)[39][40] | Yellow and ultramarine blue | .JPG) |
China
Mainland
Some police departments in Mainland China use Battenburg markings on their police motorcycles, but there is no unified standard on the usage of Battenburg markings.
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Police | Yellow and blue | |
Battenburg markings are also used as surface markings on some roads in Wuxi, Jiangsu. These markings are set in front of the pedestrian crossing, which improves road safety along with other markings.[41][42]
Hong Kong
Hong Kong was a British Dependent Territory until 1997. Some emergency vehicles and special vehicles in the Hong Kong Police Force, Hong Kong Fire Services Department, Auxiliary Medical Service, and Hong Kong St. John Ambulance use Battenburg markings.
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Police Force, Traffic Branch Headquarters | Yellow and blue |  |
|
Police Force, a few other vehicles | White and blue |  |
|
Fire Services Department, Hazmat Tender, and Fire Motorcycle | Yellow and red |  |
| Fire Services Department, Mobile Publicity Unit, and Fire Safety Education Bus | |||
| Fire Services Department, Emergency Medical Assistant Motorcycle, Rapid Response Vehicle, Mobile Casualty Treatment Centre and Paramedic Equipment Tender |  | ||
|
Fire Services Department, Mobile Command Unit, and Forward Command Car | White and red |  |
|
Auxiliary Medical Service, Paramedic motorcycle, and Ambulance | Yellow and green |  |
|
Hong Kong St. John Ambulance, Ambulance | White and green |  |
Czech Republic
All Czech emergency vehicles, such as ambulances, use yellow-and-green Battenburg markings.
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Emergency medical services | Yellow and green | .jpg) |
| Czech Red Cross | White and grey | Link to image | |
|
Some municipal police forces | Yellow and blue | Link to image |
|
White and blue | Link to image |
Denmark
Danish emergency vehicles can have one of two options: a series of diagonal lines, or a Battenburg pattern. The diagonal lines must be either red-and-white or red-and-yellow at an angle of 45° ± 5° and have a width of 100 mm ± 2,5 mm. In the front and rear of the vehicle, the markings must be made symmetrical in a way that traffic is lead around the vehicle.[43]
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ambulances, doctor cars and similar | Yellow and green |  |
|
Fire Department | Yellow and red | .jpg) |
|
Lyngholm Technical Emergency Services | Yellow and black | Link to image |
Vehicles may have a reflective text in the above colours, describing their function; for example POLITI ('Police'), ALARM 112, AMBULANCE, LÆGEVAGT ('Urgent care'), INDSATSLEDER ('Incident Commander') or similar text.
The above patterns are not obligatory. For example, the Danish Emergency Management Agency have chosen to simply not have any reflective marking on their vehicles.
France
There is no law on the use of Battenburg markings in France, but more and more ambulances are using it around the country.
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Civil Defence vehicles | Orange and blue | Link to image |
|
Some fire trucks
Some Fire Rescue ambulances |
Yellow and red | Link to image |
| Some ambulances | |||
| White and grey | Link to image | ||
|
Yellow and green | Link to image |
Germany
All rescue vehicles in Bavaria which have been procured uniformly since 2017 have a foiling in the Battenburg marker.[44] From 2019 the ambulance service in Schleswig-Holstein started to adopt the design.
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Bavarian Red Cross
Schleswig-Holstein Ambulance |
Orange and yellow |  |
|
Some ambulances of Malteser International | Orange and white | Link to image |
| Some emergency medic vehicles | Grey and white | Link to image | |
 |
Some private ambulances | Blue and red | Link to image |
|
Some fire trucks | Red and yellow |
Hungary
In Hungary, there are no laws on the usage of Battenburg markings, but some organizations utilize the pattern for greater visibility.
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Some private ambulances and doctor cars | Yellow and green | Link to image |
|
Yellow and red | Link to image | |
|
Yellow and orange | Link to image | |
|
White and orange | Link to image | |
| Some paramedic cars of the National Ambulance Service | White and Yellow | Link to image | |
|
Special units of the National Ambulance Service
Taxis |
Yellow and black | Link to image |
Iceland
In 2018 the Icelandic police started marking new police cars with blue and neon yellow markings similar to Battenburg markings used in Europe. Since then the police cars in the capital region have been made even more visible. In 2020 were Icelandic ambulances changed to look more like ambulances in Europe, adopting yellow and green markings. Icelandic Search and Rescue started adopting Battenburg markings in 2016 with red and yellow markings similar to the fire services.
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Police | Yellow and blue[citation needed] |  |
|
Ambulances | Yellow and green | Link to image |
|
Fire Department | Yellow and red | Link to image |
|
Icelandic SAR | Yellow and orange | Link to image |
Ireland
Ireland's Garda Síochána first introduced blue and yellow Battenburg style markings in 2004 with the formation of the Garda Traffic Corps.[45] This rollout was expanded in 2008 with the formation of Regional Support Units (later renamed to the Garda Armed Support Unit), equipped with Battenburg liveried Volvo XC70s with removable red "ARMED SUPPORT UNIT" lettering;[46] this livery was changed in 2016 with the purchase of new Audi Q7 SUVs and BMW 3 Series estates to include permanent lettering and a red stripe running along both sides of the vehicle.[47][48] Battenburg markings would be rolled out onto most new Garda vehicles (excluding vans) regardless of their role from 2021 onwards.[citation needed]
Ambulances in Ireland originally had similar striped markings to those in the United Kingdom. The Battenburg green and yellow markings and standard base yellow began to be adopted on Irish ambulances following the formation of the HSE National Ambulance Service in 2005. Notably, the Dublin Fire Brigade's ambulance operations and the Order of Malta Ambulance Corps use the same red and yellow Battenburg markings used on fire appliances.
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Garda Síochána (police) Airport Police Service Military Police |
Yellow and blue |  |
|
HSE National Ambulance Service | Yellow and green |  |
|
Fire and Rescue Order of Malta |
Yellow and red |  |
|
Civil Defence | Blue and orange |  |
|
Coast Guard | Orange and yellow |  |
|
Mountain Rescue
CRITICAL Emergency Medical Response |
White and orange | 
|
|
Red Cross | Red and blue | .jpg) |
|
Irish Rail | Yellow and black | Link to image |
| Lifeline Ambulance Service | Yellow and purple | Link to image | |
|
Medicall Ambulance Service | White and blue | Link to image |
Italy
There are no laws regarding the usage of Battenburg markings in Italy, but some ambulances use them for greater visibility.
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Some ambulance services | White and orange |  |
|
Yellow and green | Link to image | |
|
Yellow and orange | Link to image | |
| White and yellow | Link to image | ||
|
Polizia di Stato | Yellow and blue | Link to image |
|
Some municipal police forces | White and blue | Link to image |
|
White and green | Link to image | |
|
Some fire trucks | White and red | Link to image |
|
Yellow and red | Link to image |
Japan
There are no laws on the usage of Battenburg markings in Japan, but some emergency vehicles utilize the pattern for greater visibility.
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Multiple ambulances | Red and white | Link to image |
|
Some Fire and Rescue vehicles | Red and yellow | Link to image |
|
Japanese Red Cross Doctor Cars | Green and yellow | Link to image |
|
Some ambulances | Blue and white | Link to image |
| Ikegami General Hospital | Black and white | Link to image |
Kazakhstan
Most public ambulances use yellow-purple Battenburg markings.
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most public ambulances | Yellow and purple | Link to image |
Malta
Malta's first emergency vehicles with Battenburg style markings, 11 Fiat Ducatos for Mater Dei Hospital, were delivered between 2012 and 2014.[49] Further ambulances supplied new or as second-hand imports from the United Kingdom would be liveried in Battenburg markings.
The Civil Protection Department took delivery of its first fire appliances, Iveco, MAN and Volvo based appliances, with an orange and yellow Battenburg-like scheme between 2018 and 2019,[50][51][52] with some specialist appliances later built by UK-based EmergencyOne being liveried in UK-style yellow and red markings.[53][54] However, from 2021, a new livery was introduced for new Civil Protection Department fire appliances in 2021 that retained the yellow/orange and red colour scheme but disposed of the Battenburg pattern.[55]
The Malta Police Force first began rolling out Battenburg style markings in 2021 amid investments in new fleet vehicles in line with the force's Transformation Strategy 2020–2025, replacing a silver/grey and black livery. The first new vehicles delivered in the new livery were 20 new Hyundai Tucsons for use as Rapid Intervention Units.[56][57] The rollout continued in 2022 with the delivery of 12 SsangYong Mussos marked in the livery for use in rural areas,[58][59] followed in 2024 with deliveries of new traffic police BMW motorcycles and MG5 electric neighbourhood police cars.[60][61]
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Malta Police Force | Yellow and blue | Link to image |
|
Mater Dei Hospital
Emergency Malta |
Yellow and green | .jpg) |
|
Civil Protection Department (Fire appliances) | Yellow/orange and red | Link to image |
|
Civil Protection Department (K9 Unit) | Blue and orange | Link to image |
| Local Enforcement Systems Agency (LESA) | White and turquoise | Link to image |
New Zealand
In New Zealand Battenburg markings are commonly used on emergency vehicles with the New Zealand Police, Fire and Emergency New Zealand and both public ambulance services using reflective Battenburg markings on their liveries. The Joint Military Police Unit, NZDF Fire Service, private ambulances and other smaller emergency services also sometimes use Battenburg markings.
The New Zealand Police use a reflective chequered yellow-and-blue Battenburg markings on their frontline liveried vehicles. The markings used by police are a different form of Battenburg to those seen in the United Kingdom being checkered with breaks instead of the conventical alternating rectangles. Police started to use Battenburg markings in 2000, the markings were exclusively for Highway Patrol vehicles with other frontline vehicles receiving Battenburg markings in 2004.[62][63][64][65]
Wellington Free Ambulance was the first ambulance service in New Zealand to adopt Battenburg marking doing so by 2006. Vehicles in Wellington Free Ambulance fleet are marked with reflective green-and-white Battenburg markings similar to those used in the United Kingdom.[66] Hato Hone St John followed suit in 2014 adopting Battenburg markings on new vehicles.[67] When Hato Hone St John introduced Battenburg markings, they used conventional green-and-yellow alternating rectangles. However in 2023 Hato Hone St John updated their livery with a new, adapted, highly visible, reflective green-and-yellow Battenburg marking livery with chevrons and special Māori cultural designs integrated.[68]
On 1 July 2017, the New Zealand urban and rural firefighting organizations amalgamated into Fire and Emergency New Zealand. Fire and Emergency started to use a new livery that includes Battenburg markings used on all new vehicles with many older vehicles retrospectively receiving the new livery. The Battenburg markings on Fire and Emergency vehicles are similar to the conventional red-and-yellow alternating rectangles used by fire services across the world, but has some subtle differences such as one of the rectangles being dark blue with Fire and Emergency branding.[69]
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
New Zealand Police | Yellow and blue |  |
|
Wellington Free Ambulance | Green and White |  |
|
Hato Hone St John | Yellow and green |  |
|
Fire and Emergency New Zealand | Yellow and red |  |
Norway
In Norway, ambulances around the country are required by law to use Battenburg markings. Fire and Rescue service vehicles commonly use them, even though they are not required to.
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ambulances | White and green |  |
|
Yellow and green |  | |
|
Fire and Rescue services | Yellow and red | Link to image |
|
White and red | Link to image | |
|
Yellow and orange | Link to image | |
|
White and orange | Link to image | |
| Dark gray and orange | Link to image |
Pakistan
In Pakistan, the National Highways & Motorways Police use yellow-and-blue Battenburg markings on most of their fleets.[citation needed]
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
National Highways & Motorways (Police) | Yellow and blue |  |
Panama
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
SOS Ambulancia | Navy blue and sky blue | Link to image |
San Marino
There are no laws regarding the usage of Battenburg markings in San Marino
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Croce Bianco Azzurro | White and blue | Link to image |
Singapore
In Singapore, the vehicles of the Singapore Civil Defence Force use Battenburg markings.
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Singapore Civil Defence Force (fire, rescue and medical vehicles) | Red and yellow | 
|
| SEAS Singapore Emergency Ambulance Service (private ambulance) | Red and black | Link to image |
Spain
Though many municipal police forces of the Autonomous communities of Spain, such as Castile and León, Catalonia, Galicia and the Basque Country, have adopted standardised liveries, some autonomous communities give their municipal police greater freedom to choose their vehicle liveries. As a result, municipal police forces of Alcobendas,[70] Alcorcón,[71] Colmenar Viejo and Rivas-Vaciamadrid in the Community of Madrid,[72][73] the city of Seville,[74] Benacazón and Paradas in the Province of Seville,[citation needed] Algeciras in Andalusía,[75] and Barañáin in Navarre[76] have adopted either blue-and-yellow Battenburg-style markings or a livery based on the markings.
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ambulancias Pontevedra | Yellow and blue | Link to image |
| Some municipal police forces |  | ||
| White and black | Link to image | ||
|
Red and blue | Link to image | |
| Yellow, blue, dark red and orange | Link to image | ||
| Purple and white |  | ||
|
White and blue | Link to image | |
| Some ambulances | Link to image | ||
|
SAMUR
Some fire service vehicles Some ambulances Civil defence |
Yellow and red | Link to image |
|
Mossos d'Esquadra
Catalonian fire trucks Some ambulances |
White and red | Link to image |
|
Some ambulances | Yellow and green | Link to image |
|
Some ambulances
Civil defence |
Yellow and orange | Link to image |
|
White and orange | Link to image | |
| Some ambulances | White and yellow | Link to image | |
| Consorci del Transport Sanitari Regió Girona | Yellow and gray | Link to image | |
|
Rangers | White and green | Link to image |
South Korea
All emergency vehicles used by National Fire Agency (South Korea), which also operates ambulance services, are required to have a Battenburg-style high-reflective film in yellow and red by the agency vehicle livery standards[77].
Jeju Special Self-governing Province Police, whose colouring schemes differ from the national standards, uses black and yellow Battenburg markings on their patrol cars.
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
National Fire Agency | Yellow and red | Link to image |
|
Jeju Special Self-governing Province Police | Yellow and black | Link to image |
Sweden
Originally Swedish Police vehicles were painted with black roofs and doors or black roofs, bonnet, and boot. During the 1980s the cars became white with the word Polis written on the side. Later[when?] the livery became simply blue and white. In 2005 they began using a light blue and fluorescent yellow Battenburg livery. Swedish police cars have been Saabs, Volvos or Volkswagens, with the same livery all over Sweden. Many Swedish road agencies, contractors and consultants use Battenburg markings on road maintenance vehicles, with an orange-and-blue colour scheme, as in the UK rail response type shown above. This practice was established after a study in 2008 by the Swedish Road Administration, which showed a significant traffic calming effect when using orange-and-blue Battenburg marking to improve the visibility of road maintenance vehicles.[78]
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Police | Yellow and blue |  |
|
Ambulance | Yellow and green | .jpg) |
|
Fire Brigade | Yellow and red |  |
|
Road maintenance | Blue and orange |  |
|
Stockholm Metro emergency response vehicles | Red and blue | Link to image |
|
Storstockholms Lokaltrafik emergency response vehicles | White and red | Link to image |
|
Gothenburg Tramway emergency response vehicles
Blood transport vehicles |
White and blue | Link to image |
|
Blood transport vehicles | White and orange | Link to image |
| Stockholms Spårvägar emergency response vehicles | White and light grey | Link to image | |
|
Emergency response vehicles of Arriva's former swedish branch | White and green | Link to image |
| Eltel Networks | Navy blue and orange | Link to image |
Switzerland
The first Swiss ambulance service with Battenburg markings was the emergency medical services in Zofingen. Since 2008, they have used Battenburg markings on their Volkswagen Crafters and Mercedes-Benz Sprinters. They use white-and-red markings on their ALS units.
Another Swiss service with Battenburg markings is the Swiss Border Guard agency, which uses yellow block markings on its vehicles.
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Swiss Border Guard | Yellow and navy blue | .jpg) |
|
SK Ambulances (Geneva) | Yellow and blue | Link to image |
|
Genève Team Ambulances | Yellow and green | Link to image |
Taiwan
Taipei City Fire Department ambulances began using yellow and red Battenburg markings beginning in March 2020; Taoyuan City Fire Department ambulances followed shortly after in late 2021.[79] By 2025, all ambulances in Taipei were expected to display Battenburg markings.[80] All ambulances across Taiwan are expected to use Battenburg markings as equipment is replaced, with the Taipei City government noting that the markings are in accordance with the Reflective Markings Format for Fire Fighting Vehicles of the National Fire Agency.[79]
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ambulances operated by local fire departments | Yellow and red |
Thailand
In Khon Kaen Province of Thailand, the Kohn Kaen Hospital features yellow-and-green Battenburg markings on their ambulances.
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Khon Kaen Hospital (Ambulance) | Yellow and green | .jpg) |
|
Some ambulances | Yellow and navy blue | Link to image |
|
Royal Thai Police
Rescue squads Royal Thai Air Force Fire and Rescue Brigade |
Yellow and blue | Link to image |
|
Chulabhorn Hospital EMS | White and blue | Link to image |
 |
Bangkok Traffic Police | Orange and blue | Link to image |
|
Thai Highway Department Motorway Emergency Services | Yellow and black | Link to image |
|
Rescue squads
Some police forces |
Yellow and orange | Link to image |
 |
Some ambulances | Red and blue | Link to image |
|
Fire and Rescue vehicles | Yellow and red | Link to image |
Trinidad and Tobago
The T.T.P.S. Police of Trinidad and Tobago uses half Battenburg yellow-and-blue Battenburg reflective markings on some of their vehicles.
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
National Highways & Motorways (Police Force) | Yellow and blue |  |
United Arab Emirates
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ambulances used in Dubai | White and light grey | ||
|
Link to image | ||
| White and red | |||
| EMAHS private ambulance | Link to image | ||
|
White and blue | ||
|
EMAHS doctor on call | Yellow and blue | Link to image |
| Certain National Ambulance units | White and black | Link to image |
United Kingdom
.jpg)
In the United Kingdom, the majority of the emergency services have adopted the Battenburg style of markings; nearly half of all police forces adopted the markings within three years of their introduction, and over three quarters were using it by 2003.[3]
In 2004, following the widespread adoption and recognition of the Battenburg markings on police vehicles, the Home Office recommended that all police vehicles, not just those on traffic duty, use "half-Battenburg" livery, formalising the practice of a number of forces.
In the United Kingdom each emergency service has been allocated a specified darker colour in addition to yellow, with the police continuing to use blue, ambulances using green, and the fire service their traditional red. Other government agencies such as immigration enforcement have adopted a variation, without using the reflective yellow.[81]
The use of these colours in retro-reflective material is controlled by the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989, with vehicles only legally allowed the use of amber reflective material (and red near the rear of the vehicle).[82][83] A number of civilian organisations have also adopted the pattern, which is not legally protected, and a number of these also use other reflective colours.
An alternative to the use of reflective materials is the use of fluorescent or other non-reflective markings, which may be used by any vehicle.
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Police | Yellow and blue | .jpg) |
|
Ambulance and Doctors | Yellow and green | .jpg) |
|
Fire and Rescue, occasionally beach lifeguards | Yellow and red | .jpg) |
|
NHS Blood and Transplant, Blood Bikes and some 4×4 responders | Yellow and orange |  |
|
National Highways traffic officers, Welsh Government traffic officers and DVSA | Yellow and black |  |
| Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance | Link to image | ||
|
Rail Response | Red and blue |  |
|
Mountain Rescue, Lowland Rescue, and Cave Rescue and most 4×4 responders | White and orange[85][86][87][88] |  |
|
HM Coastguard | Yellow and navy blue | .jpg) |
|
Civil Defence, such as The Joint Civil Aid Corps | Orange and blue[89] | Link to image |
 |
Immigration Enforcement, Border Force,[90][91] HM Customs and Excise[citation needed] | Sky blue and navy blue[81] |  |
 |
Mine Rescue Service | Green and blue | Link to image |
| HM Prison Service | Black and White | Link to image | |
| East Anglian Air Ambulance | .jpg) | ||
| Gray and white | Link to image | ||
| Fire service co-responders | Yellow, green and red | Link to image | |
| Center Parcs at Whinfell Forest | Lime green and pine green | Link to image | |
| Air Ambulance Kent Surrey Sussex | Cyan and white | Link to image | |
| White, light blue, green and orange | Link to image | ||
 |
CF Motoring Highway England support units | Black and pink
Pink and blue |
Link to image |
| eCourier Medical | Purple and pink | Link to image | |
|
Some Air Ambulance services | Green and white | .jpg) |
United States
.jpg)
Battenburg markings on emergency vehicles are generally uncommon in the United States, though some municipalities have begun using them in recent years.[citation needed]
The Miami Township Police Department in Ohio has previously used ones similar to those found in the UK on their police cars.[92] Battenburg markings are also used in South Carolina's Charleston County for EMS vehicles.[93]
From 2017 to 2021, the Pittsburgh Police used Sillitoe tartan markings on some of their fleets. The design was updated to include black-and-gold Battenburg markings in 2021 to represent the city's official colours. City authorities stated that the markings would also be applied to all future municipal vehicles.[94]
The Chicago Police Department began using Sillitoe tartan markings on their police vehicles in 2018,[95] while the hats of officers have used them since 1967.[96]
Red and yellow Battenburg markings can be seen on most of the ambulances in the City of Chicago for the Chicago Fire Department.[97]
Green and yellow Battenburg markings are also used on ambulances operated by Michigan-based Life EMS Services.[citation needed]
International organizations
United Nations
United Nations (UN) vehicles are generally pure white in color with black colored "UN" lettering on them, but some vehicles of the United Nations Police feature Battenburg markings in order to be easily recognized as police vehicles, and also for greater visibility.
| Battenburg | Service | Colours | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
United Nations Police (Dili, Timur-Leste) | White and blue |  |
|
United Nations Police military police (Cyprus) | Yellow and blue | Link to image |
See also
Notes
- The cake was named after the Battenberg family, in turn named after the town of Battenberg. "Battenburg" with a "u" is a misspelling of the family name, but an acceptable spelling for the markings.
