Friday, 16 Nov 2012 15:31 GMT

Safety and traffic signs

The technology behind roadside signage has changed dramatically in recent years. Jack Gocher pulls up safely to take a closer look and identifies some key areas of opportunity for sign-makers

Take to the asphalt 

One of the few pearls of wisdom I can remember from the time, many years ago, when I was learning to drive, is the simple command that I should immediately go into third gear when driving past a red triangular sign. I suspect this advice came from my mother. The evidence for this belief is that it lacks many of the factual, practical or even safe procedures that good advice tends to provide you. 

However, it made me think about driving tests and, more specifically, the theory test. At that time it was simply a case of recognising a few signs and not saying anything dangerously stupid. Current theory tests, I am led to believe, are much more stringent and require potential new drivers to actually know something about the raft of information being thrown at them from all angles on road.

Speed cameras are expensive to operate and the funding and revenue model acts as an effective deterrent to installation. They are also the most disliked by motorists”

As a driver, one topic that the outside world seems desperate to bombard you with is speed information. Time was, every now and then there would be a red circular sign with a big black number in the middle of it telling you the speed limit. Keeping drivers within these limits is a constant challenge for the authorities and they have many methods to help them achieve this objective with various levels of success. Speed humps and cameras are the main controls, but these are generally unpopular and there always seems to be someone on the news arguing for and against their effectiveness. However, more recently, an altogether friendlier and more effective system has been developed.

Harry Filer, marketing manager for Messagemaker, explains: “Vehicle activated signs are the most accepted type of speed control signage now. Speed humps are more effective at controlling low speeds but don’t work at higher speeds and are disliked by drivers.  

“Speed cameras are expensive to operate and the funding and revenue model acts as an effective deterrent to installation. They are also the most disliked by motorists. If the proposals to increase the number of 20mph zones go through, then there will be a new wave of signage required, and vehicle activated is likely to be the most popular way of communicating and enforcing these limits.”

Messagemaker provides a wide range of signs for diverse transport applications, including road, rail, bus, sea and air. Its range of LED transport signs offer a long-lasting, low-energy, virtually maintenance-free solution. Filer adds: “The reliability and sophistication of LED displays means it’s now the default choice for outdoor variable message signs.” 

The reliability and sophistication of LED displays means it’s now the default choice for outdoor variable message signs”

Messagemaker claims that LED message displays are ideal for situations where you need to get the message across, with words or symbols, simply and effectively. LED scrolling message signs capture attention. Movement, light and colour can be combined to draw attention to important messages and provide a continuous status update.

There’s also a push to fit vehicle-activated signs in off road applications, such as private estates, industrial estates, quarries, distribution yards and the like. Here the speed limit might be as low as 5mph.

Filer concludes: “We’re seeing a lot more variety of vehicle activated signage. Instead of the simple flashing up ‘30mph’ 300mm roundels we are seeing interest in intelligent signs, which show true speed then congratulate drivers going under speed and gently chastise speeders with a slow down message.”

Dew respect

This road signs all show the obscuring effect of dew on them.
Rennicks claims its Dewtect dew resistant sheeting ensures signs
are clearer and safer for drivers. It works by attracting water
droplets together to form a membrane across the surface of the
sheeting, allowing normal retroreflectivity to occur

























The other main purpose of road signage is to inform you where you are and where you might be heading. Again, legislation in this area has advanced in line with the technology now available to sign-makers. Rennicks UK is one of the industry’s longest serving providers of specialist road signage. The company claims the key to its success is a focus on innovation to ensure a continued drive in safety and performance from its products. 

The company supplies a wide-range of industry-leading products including the Nikkalite brand of reflective sheeting, as well as specialist overlays for use in the production of road traffic signs to all current European Standards. One of Rennicks’ latest developments is the introduction of dew resistant sheeting, which offers a significant safety benefit, by enhancing night time visibility for road users—even during periods of dew formation.

The provision of dew resistant signage is one of several innovations from Rennicks, which is renowned for its technical expertise”

Rennicks has worked with its supplier, Nippon Carbide Industries (NCI), to develop the Nikkalite Dewtect DT142-S dew resistant sheeting. This combats dew formation and thus allows normal retroreflectivity to occur. Dewtect’s surface formulation also works to eliminate the need to wash off surface protection during installation. According to Rennicks this reduces installation time and costs. 

This ultimately means the sign arrives on site without the need to wash off the surface once the sign is in place, avoiding associated safety issues and planning, as managing director of Rennicks UK, Dr Iain Borthwick, explains: “The ability to install Dewtect signs without the additional washing down process during installation provides major benefits for our clients. When dew forms on traffic signs at night, it can reduce the reflective properties to such an extent that signs appear to ‘black out,’ making them illegible to motorists. 

“Dewtect dew resistant sheeting works by attracting water droplets together to form a membrane across the surface of the sheeting, allowing normal retroreflectivity to occur.”

He continues: “This water membrane also performs a double duty, washing away most surface contaminants as water runs down making each sign self-cleaning. The hydrophilic surface coating and rain fall act to loosen and remove surface contamination, including carbon deposits. 

“The effective performance life of Dewtect-S is seven years for signs installed in the UK, after which Dewtect-S signs continue to perform with a reducing ability to resist the effects of dew formation and reverting to a standard retroreflective sign with a warranted life of up to twelve years.”

Dr Borthwick concludes: “The provision of dew resistant signage is one of several innovations from Rennicks, which is renowned for its technical expertise. The company has a strong focus on delivering innovative products, supported by highly trained staff with high levels of technical expertise, an efficient service and a strong customer focus.”

Meeting the standards

The National Highways Agency and the Association for Road
Traffic Safety and Management are campaigning for all road
sign manufacturers to conform to the European standard for
permanent traffic signs, BS EN 12899



















In addition, the company works closely with organisations responsible for the development and specification of road and safety signage. Rennicks UK technical service manager, Trevor Wren, chairs the Association for Road Traffic Safety and Management, (ARTSM) Working Group 2, which recently published a new guide entitled ‘Specifying Permanent Traffic Signs’.

The guide sets out how important it is to consider a number of factors in the specification process, and includes a useful checklist. This outlines eleven points to consider, including compliance with BS EN 12899:2007, which is the main standard for permanent traffic signs. 

BS EN 12899 is a recent European harmonised standard for what it is qualified as, ‘fixed, vertical road traffic signs’. It goes much further than previous standards, and with assessment carried out by the BSI Testing House, its scope includes, ‘factory production control’, ‘in-line testing’, and ‘calculation of post and foundation’ criteria to comply with wind loading and independent product Initial Type Testing.

The National Highways Agency and ARTSM both welcome and strongly support adoption of BS EN 12899 standard. To this end, they are actively promoting the standard and looking for commitment from all UK road traffic sign manufacturers to obtain formal registration.

BS EN 12899-1:2007 contains many different performance classes, so it is not sufficient for specifiers to simply ask for a sign to be made to this standard, as they may end up with one that meets only the lowest class. For example, class WL0 indicates that no wind resistance is required, so a sign to this class could fail in a light breeze. Specification has to include classes or values that are really needed. Fortunately, many of the classes have recommended values in the UK National Annex at the end of BS EN 12899-1:2007, so most sign specifiers choose to adopt these.  

Retroreflectivity is achieved through glass bead or microprismatic sheetings, which are manufactured either by incorporating glass beads into the material, or by moulding small prisms into the plastic”

Other areas covered include the type of electrical illumination needed, wind class, mounting height and details of the posts required. Another area addressed is the class of sign face material, indicating what grade of retroreflectivity is required. 

“Retroreflectivity is achieved through glass bead or microprismatic sheetings, which are manufactured either by incorporating glass beads into the material, or by moulding small prisms into the plastic,” says Wren, adding: “Specifiers and purchasers should state the performance class of the retroreflective sheeting given in BS EN 12899-1, they require, under the range of classes RA1, RA2/R2 or R3B. Sign manufacturers can then provide a suitable retroreflective sheeting that meets that class.” 

With so much more complex and informative signage on the road side, drivers can be forgiven if they are a little distracted. However, thanks to companies like Rennicks and Messagemaker, the focus is on ensuring the signs are safer, clearer and more informative.

From the sign-maker’s perspective, it is perhaps time to consider how this market is growing both from a technological standpoint in addition to an economic one and create a route map that sees their business capitalise on such trends.