Archive for March, 2010
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.
Traveling Between Home and the Office
Let’s face it, some people have a terrible commute that can last for several hours, and since these people often have this commute 4-5 times per week, it can often interfere with spending time with family and friends. This patience-testing endeavor can be made even worse when there is construction and traffic barricades impeding your route. But there’s nothing to suggest a commute to and from home can’t be productive or even a little fun. For people who have committed to commuting and living at a significant distance from the office, it’s important to remember that there’s little point to be upset about sitting in traffic.
When slow traffic and long commutes become daily trends, it’s important to relieve stress with enjoyable car activities including listening to music, talking with family and friends on the phone, or even viewing fun pictures. Purchase a new car sound system to increase the enjoyment of listening to music; it’s a great investment that can drown out the sounds and stress of a long commute.
Traffic Barrels or Sand Barrels
There can be confusion over what these are called, but the proper term is sand barrels, more generally they can be called traffic barrels. Those yellow barrels you to ensure that if your car goes off course it doesn’t end up in what the barrels are in front of. A lot of times they are in front of the concrete barrier that forms an exit off ramp.
These are not necessarily re directive, but they are still useful for protecting cars and trucks during a crash. Chances are if they are hit hard you are going to have to buy a new one, but most are designed so that a minor hit won’t damage them. Most barrels are able to be filled with sand, and can add up to around 1,000 pounds once filled.
There are different brands of safety cones? Yes, more than one manufacturer of safety cones exist. In fact, there are many. Most companies that make traffic cones make other products as well (traffic barricades, delineator posts, etc). So what’s the difference between one brand and the next?
Well, the answer is there isn’t too much of a difference. Of course some are going to have more plastic, be more reflective or just stand up to the weather better. Aesthetically, there are minimal differences – the base is a little longer, the top a little narrower, but it’s what they are made of and how they are made that counts. Some believe that safety cones coming from China are of a lesser quality, so try and find out where your cones are coming from and whether they will stand up to what you need them for.
Traffic Barrels, and all other lingo
When I first learned about the traffic safety industry, I couldn’t figure out what those orange barrels on the side of the highway were called. Now, I am still confused about what they are called, but this post is to show you the common names given to these orange barrels. Traffic barrels may be the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of these orange barrels now, but there are other names.
Some people call them orange drums, construction drums, construction barrels, traffic drums, superdome drums, and more. It’s hard to identify which is the correct term, but a search on Google for traffic drum gives almost two million results, which all seem to be on target. Then again, a search for traffic drum brings up over eight million results, so who knows.