Drivers need guidance and warnings they can count on. Learn how sign management improves safety and what a maintenance system should include.
Safety features in cars can help minimize accident injuries, but what can prevent accidents in the first place? Well-tended, hazard-free roads are a start, and traffic police try to be on the spot, but for the most part, it comes down to the drivers. Even when they’re doing their best, drivers need guidance on the roads and warnings to help them avoid danger. Here’s a overview regarding Minimum Levels of Retroreflectivity and the FHWA required sign management program improves safety because drivers depend on it.
For traffic signs to function effectively, a supervisory system needs to be in place. Over time, and as signage is added, it’s hard to keep track of the signs’ condition. Your management policy should include these steps:
- Inventory: A database of all the signs in a network makes information easy to access.
- Inspection: A schedule can ensure every sign is assessed in a timely manner.
- Preventive Maintenance: Taking care of lesser damage can guard against full-sign damage.
- Repair and Replacement: System standards should dictate when and how ineffective or missing signs are restored.
- Reporting and Recordkeeping: Documentation assures that no signs are overlooked.
With these measures, driving will be less dangerous, and that’s critical when so many lives are at stake. In 2019, an estimated 38,800 people lost their lives in car crashes. Here’s how sign management improves safety for everyone on the road.
Prevents Accidents
Drivers can rely on their experience and their judgment, but not much else. Traffic signs are the only way to communicate with drivers in real-time. Signs tell them if they’re going in the right direction, if hazards are ahead, and if their speed is too fast to react to dangers. But if drivers don’t notice these signs or can’t even see them, they are essentially driving blind.
Keeps Drivers Alert
Streets have many distractions, while highways are often long, unbroken stretches of monotony. Signs can catch the attention of drivers who are distracted or inattentive. Older signs can fade into the background, and damaged signs might even have fallen to the ground. If something is obstructing the sign, drivers won’t get the information they need. Replacing signs and making sure they’re in the best possible location is the best way to keep drivers sharp.
Improves Visibility at Night
More recent traffic control signs have increased retroreflectivity—the ability to reflect light back at the driver’s headlights. There’s a lot that goes into the technology, but in short, the signs are a lot brighter. That’s an advantage during the daytime, but it’s essential at night. Even with adequate lighting, it’s more difficult to see at night, so drivers need signs that are impossible to miss.
If you have more questions about how sign management improves safety, contact us at Custom Products Corporation. We can tell you exactly which signs are best for your needs.
