With distracted driving on the rise, it’s only become more important to increase pedestrian and roadway safety. Between cellphone usage and the increased amount and function of technology in vehicles these days, keeping your full attention on the road has become a lot more difficult. Driving at night has always been a more challenging aspect for many drivers as well. The reduced visibility leaves less reaction time and results in more incidents. To combat this, there are a wide variety of products available to help keep driver’s attention on the road at key moments. Options vary from flashing LED signs to reflective road paint and everything in between. Using a reflective traffic paint can play a large role to increase driver safety and visibility at night.

WHAT IS IT?

     One common misconception is that the paint used on roads and highways is a reflective paint. In reality, the reflectivity comes by adding glass beads to your wet traffic paint directly after striping. These glass beads, also known as highway marking spheres, provide a cost-effective nighttime roadway delineation. It does so by a process called retro-reflection, which is a fancy way to say that the glass beads reflect light back to the original light source, whether that’s car headlights, a flashlight or anything else. This makes the lines brighter and easier to see during the night to assist drivers with staying in their lane.

     There are a wide variety of glass bead options available. There are three types of beads, with Type I being the most common but all with different applications. You have different bead size, refractive index, clarity and roundness options as well. These different characteristics help determine which beads to use in which situations.

WHICH DO I USE?

     While there are many different options, the common Type I glass bead will most likely fulfill your needs. The Type I option is also known as the DOT reflective glass beads and is accepted by most state and federal DOTs. As long as it is a Type I and has a refractive index of 1.5 or higher, you should be good to go! If you’re using a striping machine for application, you’ll want to make sure the bead size is appropriate for your machine to ensure optimal coverage. If you have any questions regarding which glass beads you need, give us a call here at Traffic Safety & Equipment and we would be more than happy to assist!

With an economy still struggling to catch back up with demand due to Covid-19, we take a look into the u-channel post supply chain and what is causing the hold up.

Bollards protect buildings and people by restricting motor vehicle access in high-traffic areas. These short, sturdy posts create a physical barrier to keep both people and structures safe from harm, which makes them an extremely effective safety device – and a popular choice for improving security in a wide range of public spaces. But not all bollards are the same. It’s important to select the type of bollard post that will work best for your needs.

At a time when inflation and supply chain issues are driving up the cost of everything from gasoline to groceries, Traffic Safety Direct is doing our part to help our customers save money on traffic safety products. While we cannot control much of what happens in the marketplace, we are always looking for ways to bring down costs and work with suppliers and vendors who offer reasonable pricing.

Spring’s arrival brings with it the familiar sounds of road repair, construction and landscaping projects. Winter weather typically takes a toll, causing damage ranging from potholes on paved roads and in parking lots to downed trees, salt-damaged grass and crumbling cement security barriers. If your business, agency or municipality has repair, replacement or new construction work on the schedule for spring, Traffic Safety Direct has the products you need to complete your projects efficiently and economically.

Busy intersections, high-speed crossings, and stops around sharp curves can pose serious danger to drivers and pedestrians – especially at night and in rain, snow, or fog. Whether posted on highways or back roads, in suburban neighborhoods or city streets, traffic safety signs communicate warnings, directions and other essential information. And while these signs do not have to be lit to be effective, lights certainly help make drivers more aware of them and improve traffic control.

Rising gas prices and climate change have been making headlines – and accelerating people’s interest in electric vehicles (EV). The EV market, which has been expanding slowly but steadily, experienced explosive growth in 2021. Sales increased 40% year-over-year, and this trend is expected to continue in 2022 and beyond. A Bloomberg New Energy Finance study projected that by 2040, zero-emission vehicles will account for 70% of new passenger vehicles globally.

Emergency lights are an effective and reliable way to warn people of potential hazards on and off the road. Whether they are police lights, brake lights, or another type of warning light, these devices can make a huge impact on the safety of drivers, pedestrians, and workers.

At Traffic Safety Direct, we work with customers to create custom vinyl decals that showcase everything from special sales to special events. We are often asked what is the best way to apply these decals so they go on straight without wrinkles or bubbles, and stay on until you are ready to remove them.

Improving the country’s infrastructure has been making headlines this year, with a focus on the need for federal funding to support projects of national, state and local importance. The U.S. Senate approved a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill in early August, allocating billions of dollars for everything from ports and public transit to road safety and water systems. Although the legislation faces an uncertain future in the House, it’s likely that a version will pass by the end of this year.