- Escort vehicle
An escort vehicle is an
automobile used to escort trucks with large loads,convoy s of large vehicles, guide motorists through construction sites, and assist aircraft intaxiing from the runway to the tarmac at many airports. In most instances, escort vehicles are provided by companies that specialize in convoy escort, although escort duties are occasionally performed bypolice vehicles (especially for parades and funeral processions).Oversize vehicle escorts
Escort vehicles will typically take positions directly in front and behind the truck or convoy being escorted. For overwidth or overheight trucks one escort vehicle will ride several miles ahead of the truck to ensure the road ahead can accommodate the truck's oversize dimensions.Fact|date=February 2008 This lead vehicle is usually equipped with a long pole that extends upward from the front
bumper ; its length can be adjusted to match the height of the truck or the tallest vehicle in a convoy.Fact|date=February 2008 If the pole strikes any overhanging objects such as bridges, overhead signs, orpower lines , the truck or convoy can be alerted and stopped or diverted long before an accident occurs.Construction site escorts
Road construction sites are places where traffic patterns can suddenly shift and driving lanes abruptly change, often leading to driver confusion and accidents.Fact|date=February 2008 Some transportation departments employ escort vehicles to guide motorists through construction areas to ensure safety of the motorists and the construction workers.Fact|date=February 2008
At some construction sites, particularly on very minor roads, an escort vehicle is used to facilitate convoys of traffic passing in alternating directions were only a single lane is available. Sometimes this is combined with using the vehicles to enforce a particularly low speed limit.Fact|date=February 2008
Aircraft escort vehicles
Some of the more crowded airports use escort vehicles to guide arriving planes taxiing from the runway to the tarmac and departing planes from the parking area to the runway.Fact|date=February 2008
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
