Archive for the ‘Traffic Message Boards’ Category
Though one may expect traffic message boards to only be for those companies on the side of the road doing construction, they are for other purposes as well. National Parks sometimes use them to warn or inform drivers who are driving next to or on the National Park.
Whether it is a special event or a fire, it is always good for the Parks to be able to communicate with the people driving by. Traffic message boards make this communication possible.
Making Time
Some of my fondest childhood memories revolved around family camping trips, or, more specifically, the car rides on the way to those camping trips. My dad fit the traditional American father archetype - hard working, stern, a man of few words. He let his hair down a bit during family vacations, but he just couldn’t shed a few of his workaday habits. For instance, he was monomaniacal in his obsession with making good time on the road.
We would pile into the family station wagon early in the morning as mom handed us insulated travel mugs filled with hot cocoa. Mere moments after the engine turned over, dad would be complaining about traffic – whether there were traffic message boards blinking on every corner or just four other cars sharing the road. The situation was confounded further by his propensity to get lost without ever admitting it. Years later, our entire family has come to realize that the time spent in that car was precious. It really was more about the journey than the destination.
Traffic Message Board Around The Town
If you are driving around and wondering what is the difference between one traffic message board and another, well chances are there is not a big difference. Some arrow boards have more LEDs than others, but LEDs are not the only indication of how bright the lights are.
It’s also important to look at the amount of wattage that powers the message board, because the more wattage there is the brighter is usually is. Check for both of these features before buying a message board.
Traffic Message Board Branding
There are a few different brands of traffic message boards that I know of, but the differences between the brands is not too great. When researching your traffic message board try to focus more on the options available and less on the brand.
There are arrow boards and there are traffic message boards. Traffic message boards have messages that are displayed on the LED screen, arrow boards are just simply arrows that are on the LED screen.
Arrow Boards Warnings
Arrow boards are technically arrows that light up on an LED sign, but may confuse them with traffic message boards. Traffic message boards display messages such as “paving from 8:00PM to 4:00AM” or something similar. They are used to inform traffic about changing road conditions.
Arrow boards can either be mounted to the back of trucks or can stand alone on the road. The only thing ‘true’ arrow boards warn about is to get in the other lane. They are usually behind a salt truck or snow plow let you know that you should switch lanes.
Traffic Message Boards - what do they say?
Traffic message boards have a variety of messages that are displayed on them. Just when I was on the road a few days ago, I saw a message that said “5/11 - road work - mon-fri - 3am-7am”. The amount of messages that can be displayed are never ending, but in my experience they typically have to do with construction.
There have been times when I noticed it mentioned that traffic was ahead, or that the weather is expected to get worse, or the road is icy, etc. The bottom line is, no matter what the message is, you should always pay attention to the message boards.
Traffic Message Board
What is a traffic message board and where do you find them? A traffic message board is basically the same as an arrow board, but an arrow board is a picture of an arrow directing traffic, and a traffic message board usually contains a longer message such as “road work ahead” or “left lane closed”.
You will most likely find these traffic message boards on the highway. There are chances you will see them in your town, but probably only if your town is very big and there is construction going on.
Arrow Boards? What?
Never heard of arrow boards? An arrow board is a traffic message board or advisory arrow that you would typically see on the highway that informs incoming traffic. It could say “Ice, slow down” or “DUI checkpoint” etc.
There are different forms of arrow boards. Some are bigger than others, some just show arrows, and some even come with laptops! This equipment is not cheap, it can cost as much as $20k. There are many options and many types of arrow boards, so doing your research is always worthwhile.
Cost of Traffic Message Boards
Traveling down the highway you may come across these signs that are picture on the left. These can be called traffic message boards or arrow boards. They are used to inform drivers, for example, it could say “road work ahead” or “heavy traffic slow down.”
There are many different types of traffic message boards, so the cost can vary. There are solar powered boards, boards that come with laptop computers, and boards that simply travel on the back of trucks. The most expensive boards I came across retail at around $22,000 while the cheapest came to $5,000.
Features of Arrow Boards
This blog talks about the different features an arrow board has. Of course the features are going to depend on the brand, but I’ll try and stick with industry-wide features. Most arrow boards are made so that they can be towed by a truck. The newest trend seems to be solar, there are a lot of solar arrow boards out there now.
“trailer mounted arrow board” is the term for an arrow board that is pulled by a car/truck for use while the truck is moving. A lot of them have storage for other safety items, like roll up signs and holders for traffic cones. Most arrow boards can be offered with 15 or 25 LEDs.