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motor vehicles
Australian Standard

Portable warning triangles for

AS 3790—1992
 This Australian Standard was prepared by Committee MS/49, Retroreflective Devices.
It was approved on behalf of the Council of Standards Australia on 21 July 1992 and
published on 12 October 1992.
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The following interests are represented on Committee MS/49:

Australian Federation of Construction Contractors
Australian Road Research Board
Austroads
Confederation of Australian Industry
Metal Trades Industry Association of Australia
Railways of Australia Committee

Additional interests participating in preparation of Standard:

Department of Transport and Communications

Review of Australian Standards. To keep abreast of progress in industry, Australian Standards are subject
to periodic review and are kept up to date by the issue of amendments or new editi ons as necessary. It is
important therefore that Standards users ensure that they are in possession of the latest editi on, and any
amendments thereto.
Full detail s of all Australian Standards and related publi cati ons wil l be found in the Standards Australi a
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Standard’, which subscribing members receive, and which gives detail s of new publications, new edit ions
and amendments, and of withdrawn Standards.
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 AS 3790—1992

Australian Standard
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Portable warning triangles for

motor vehicles

First publi shed as AS E38—1962.

Revised and redesignated AS 3790(I nt)— 1990.
Revised and issued as AS 3790—1992.

PUBLISHED BY STANDARDS AUSTRALIA

(STANDARDS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA)
1 THE CRESCENT, HOMEBUSH, NSW 2140
ISBN 0 7262 7731 2
 AS 3790—1992 2

PREFACE

This Standard was prepared by the Standards Australia Committee on Retroreflective Devices. It
confirms the interim edition, AS 3790(Int)—1990, which was issued in August 1990 to supersede
AS E38—1962, Portable warning signs for motor vehicles.
As indicated in the Preface to the Interim Standard, the retroreflective performance of devices is now
specified by CIL value, and retroreflective materials and devices used in the manufacture of triangles
must now conform to recently published Standards which impose more rigorous requirements than was
the case when AS E38 was first published. These requirements, in addition to photometric properties,
now include specification of colour and physical properties.
Two types of triangle are now specified. The first (Type A) is a development of the triangle design
originally specified in AS E38—1962, with substantially increased retroreflective performance
requirements. The second (Type B) has been introduced in the interests of harmonization with ECE
Regulation 27/03. Its specification sets out the Australian requirements for a triangle meeting the
description and performance requirements of that Regulation.
Manufacturers should note particularly that in order to produce a Type A triangle having the minimum
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dimensions permitted by the Standard and at the same time meeting the increased retroreflective
performance requirement, it will be necessary to use either retroreflective material meeting the
Class 1A specification in AS 1906.1, or discrete retroreflective devices capable of the same or better
performance.

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Users of Standards are reminded that copyri ght subsists in all Standards Australi a publications and soft ware. Except where the
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 3 AS 3790—1992

CONTENTS

Page

FOREWORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

SECTION 1 SCOPE AND GENERAL

1.1 SCOPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 5
1.2 APPLICATION . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 5
1.3 REFERENCED DOCUMENTS .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 5
1.4 DEFINITIONS . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 5
1.5 TYPES OF DEVICE . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 5

SECTION 2 TYPE A (STANDARD) TRIANGLES

2.1 SCOPE OF SECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. .. . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . . .. . 6
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2.2 DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION . . . . . . .. . .. .. . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . . .. . 6

2.3 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS . . . . .. . .. .. . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . . .. . 7
2.4 STORAGE AND PACKING . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . .. . 7
2.5 MARKING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. .. . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . . .. . 7

SECTION 3 TYPE B (‘ECE’) TRIANGLES

3.1 SCOPE OF SECTION . . . . . . . . . . . ... .. . .. .. . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . . .. . 9
3.2 DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION . . . . .. .. . .. .. . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . . .. . 9
3.3 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS . ... .. . .. .. . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . . .. . 9
3.4 STORAGE AND PACKING . . . . . . . ... . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . .. . 11
3.5 MARKING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . .. .. . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . . .. . 11
 AS 3790—1992 4

FOREWORD

This Standard makes provision for two types of triangle—

Type A—which is based on the AS E38—1962 design but with more closely specified design and
performance requirements, and
Type B—which equates in design and performance to the ECE Regulation 27/03 triangle commonly
used in European countries.
The ECE triangle has been included so as to conform with government policies of harmonization with
ECE Regulations as far as practicable. The ECE triangle is larger in size and has a higher photometric
performance than the minimum device allowed under the Type A specification. Its inclusion will be
an aid to manufacturers who desire to export triangles to countries requiring the ECE device, and an
aid to importers desiring to market an imported ECE triangle in Australia. It should be noted however
that the relevant ECE regulation implies a single-sided device. Because triangles used in Australia are
used in such a way that when placed on a two-way carriageway they need to be visible to both
directions of traffic, this Standard specifies the Type B triangle as a double-sided device.
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NOTE: Manufacturers contemplating the export of tri angles to countr ies requiri ng the ECE Approval Mark are advised to
consult the ori ginal ECE Regulation 27/03.
The practice in Australia immediately prior to publication of this Standard was for regulatory
authorities to specify the use of three triangles of a type similar to that now specified as Type A. It
is noted that European practice, from whence the ECE or Type B specification is derived, is to use
only one triangle. For this reason, reference to the requirement for a ‘set of three’ triangles has been
omitted from the Type B triangle specification.
It is emphasized however, that the choice as to which Type is specified in State or Territory
regulations or how many triangles are required to be carried is entirely a matter for the regulatory
authority. Other than the statements above, neither the Committee nor Standards Australia makes any
recommendation in this regard.
 5 AS 3790—1992

STANDARDS AUSTRALIA

Australian Standard
Portable warning triangles for motor vehicles

SECTION 1 SCOPE AND GENERAL

1.1 SCOPE This Standard specifies the design and performance requirements for portable warning
triangles required to be carried in certain motor vehicles in accordance with the National Road Traffic
Code and various State and Territory traffic laws or regulations. They are not intended for use in
conjunction with roadworks. Standard signs for this latter purpose are specified in AS 1742.3.
Two types of triangle are specified, Type A and Type B (see Clause 1.5).
1.2 APPLICATION This Standard is to be applied as follows:
(a) Type A triangles shall comply with Section 1 and Section 2.
(b) Type B triangles shall comply with Section 1 and Section 3.
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Although it is recognized that the performance requirements for the two Types of triangle are not
identical, for the purpose of this Standard both sets of requirements are considered to have equal
validity.
1.3 REFERENCED DOCUMENTS The following documents are referred to in this Standard:
AS
1742 Manual of uniform traffic control devices
1742.3 Part 3: Traffic control devices for works on roads
1906 Retroreflective materials and devices for road traffic control purposes
1906.1 Part 1: Retroreflective materials
1906.2 Part 2: Retroreflective devices (non-pavement application)
2445 Methods of sampling and testing retroreflective materials and devices for road traffic control
purposes
2445.2 Part 2: Retroreflective devices (non-pavement application)
ECE Regulation 27/03 Uniform provisions for the approval of advance-warning triangles (incl.
Amdt. No. 3). Agreement concerning the adoption of uniform conditions of
approval and reciprocal recognition of approval for motor vehicle
equipment and parts
1.4 DEFINITIONS For the purpose of this Standard the definitions given in AS 1906.1 and the
following apply.
1.4.1 Retroreflective material—a flexible sheeting, uniformly covered with retroreflective elements,
e.g. minute glass spheres enclosed or encapsulated in a transparent plastics film, or minute micro-
prisms moulded into a transparent plastic film, the plastic film in each case tinted to the required
colour and able to be cut to shape.
1.4.2 Retroreflective device—a discrete, usually rigid, retroreflector of small physical size composed
of retroreflective elements, e.g. cube-corners moulded into rigid transparent plastics, tinted to the
required colour.
1.4.3 Set of triangles—three complete triangles complying with Type A requirements (see
Clause 1.5).
1.5 TYPES OF DEVICE Two types of portable warning triangle are specified. They are designated
as follows:
(a) Type A—the standard triangle whose design and performance are specified in Section 2.
(b) Type B—The ‘ECE’ triangle whose design and performance are similar to that given in ECE
Regulation 27/03, and which are specified in Section 3.

COPYRIGHT
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AS 3790-1992, Portable warning triangles for

motor vehicles
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