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Quick and simple visual comparison will determine whether a sign passes retroflectivity test
Author: Daniel Keane Posted: Tuesday, December 27, 2011 EDT
Clearly visible traffic signs are more important than ever before in the United States. In the 1960s approximately 75 million vehicles traveled on the roads and highways of America. Today that number has swollen to more than 250 million. Street name and road guide signs carry important information that is essential for driver safety, both day and night. In response to this growing concern, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued a Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) that specified compliance by 2009. More specifically, all communities and local governments must begin assessing the reflectivity levels and condition of their traffic signs by 2012. Regulatory, warning and post-mounted reflective signs must be brought into compliance by 2015. Overhead traffic signs and street name markers must be fully compliant or replaced by 2018.
The two easiest methods for determining the retroflectivity, the ability of a material to return light to its source, are by visual assessment and measured sign retroflectivity. In the past, maintenance crews used portable reflectometers to judge the level of reflective quality of each sign. These machines required transporting to each site and ongoing maintenance. A newer and more cost-effective method involves clipping a specially designed comparison panel to the sign and then stepping back 25 feet to visually compare the reflective-brightness level.
New, easy-to-use tools such as the Avery Dennison Minimum Retroflectivity Compliance Kit are already calibrated to specified sign standards. State, county and local governments can know that they are meeting FHWA guidelines when they measure the brightness of their reflective signs against the comparison panel standards. These panels are available for all required colors and pre-set to match the MUTCD requirements. Quick and simple visual comparison will determine whether a sign passes, fails or fall in the marginal category.
Retroflectivity kits are affordable, accurate and pre-approved according to FHWA guidelines. They are easy to use by any maintenance personnel and require a minimum of time or labor. No expensive equipment is required or needs to be stored and maintained. The comparison panels work on all types of reflective signs including road markings, highway signs, street signs and traffic signs.
Regularly monitoring the reflectivity of signage is more cost-effective than automatically replacing signs when they have met their expected life span. It is also less expensive than doing a blanket replacement of signs every so many years. A retroflectivity kit is a sensible and affordable solution to assure that both public and private traffic signs and reflective signs meet new, more stringent government regulations.
The two easiest methods for determining the retroflectivity, the ability of a material to return light to its source, are by visual assessment and measured sign retroflectivity. In the past, maintenance crews used portable reflectometers to judge the level of reflective quality of each sign. These machines required transporting to each site and ongoing maintenance. A newer and more cost-effective method involves clipping a specially designed comparison panel to the sign and then stepping back 25 feet to visually compare the reflective-brightness level.
New, easy-to-use tools such as the Avery Dennison Minimum Retroflectivity Compliance Kit are already calibrated to specified sign standards. State, county and local governments can know that they are meeting FHWA guidelines when they measure the brightness of their reflective signs against the comparison panel standards. These panels are available for all required colors and pre-set to match the MUTCD requirements. Quick and simple visual comparison will determine whether a sign passes, fails or fall in the marginal category.
Retroflectivity kits are affordable, accurate and pre-approved according to FHWA guidelines. They are easy to use by any maintenance personnel and require a minimum of time or labor. No expensive equipment is required or needs to be stored and maintained. The comparison panels work on all types of reflective signs including road markings, highway signs, street signs and traffic signs.
Regularly monitoring the reflectivity of signage is more cost-effective than automatically replacing signs when they have met their expected life span. It is also less expensive than doing a blanket replacement of signs every so many years. A retroflectivity kit is a sensible and affordable solution to assure that both public and private traffic signs and reflective signs meet new, more stringent government regulations.
© 2011 All rights reserved. Reproduction with permission.
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