Archive for the ‘Traffic Safety’ Category
What’s the Cost of Orange Construction Drums? Other Traffic Products?
The traffic safety field is not something the average person knows much about, why would they need to? Because I deal with the information about these products daily, I have a good grip on how much a city or company probably paid for that orange construction drum or traffic cone. Everyone is surprised when I tell them that cones are typically $15 a piece and drums can be $50 or $60 each if they are in high speed zones (they need more expensive reflective material in the higher speed zones).
This is something to think of next time you see one you want to take home with you for fun. Why do these products cost double or triple what you would expect? A good amount of the cost comes from the reflective material, which almost every product needs so that it can be easily seen during the night and day. It’s also important to note these products have to meet crash test requirements so they have to be molded into a certain shape. The companies that make these products have to pay for the tests to be done and it’s not a cheap process. And finally, the material has to last through being tossed around by construction workers, potentially hit by cars and go through multiple winters and summers.
The moral of the story, safety isn’t cheap, but it’s cheaper than the cost of an accident! And I am sure glad our country takes the safety of the road workers and drivers so serious. Otherwise there would be way more accidents on the road.
Popular on college campuses and around bars is the act of taking an orange traffic cone or two off the street and bringing it home with you. I’ve seen it happen and it’s usually after drinking. However I would advise everyone to avoid doing this because you are actually stealing the city/state’s property and it’s a punishable offense. If you are caught with a traffic safety product you could end up getting arrested.
Of course how far the officer wants to punish you is going to depend on that police man but it’s not worth gambling the device. So next time you see a cone you want to grab I suggest you resist the urge and get one at your local Home Depot or hardware store. It will most likely be a lot cheaper in the long run!
If you don’t believe me check out this news story about three kids getting arrested when an officer discovers they had taken traffic cones. http://www.wkbw.com/news/crime/–Quick-Way-to-get-Arrested-Steal-Traffic-Cones-126081923.html
Need Just A Few Traffic Cones?
When I tell people about my business and what I sell, the first response is usually asking if I can sell them a few traffic cones as they want one for their apartment, dorm, a race in their backyard etc. While I (and I am sure other traffic safety vendors) would love to be able to sell small quantities, the manufacturers don’t. They want to sell 100’s at a time!
So here are a few resources for finding those 1 or 2 or 5 cones. First try your local home depot, I have seen them sold as single units and for not a bad price! If you don’t have a home depot or they are all out, try your local hardware store. Even a mom and pop shop (like what I have in my hometown) could carry them because utility companies, the local police, cable companies and more all need small quantities at different times.
Need your cones to be colored? Well now it gets a little more difficult. Obviously they typically come in orange. To find fluorescent green, pink, red etc you will most likely have to look online. To find a company that doesn’t have a minimum order look for those that keep their products in stock. That way the manufacturer’s don’t have to be hassled to send out 3 green traffic cones.
And finally, if you live in a big city (New York City, LA, Chicago) there is most likely a brick and mortar traffic safety company within the city. I don’t imagine minimum orders apply there.
If you happen to need 10 more more we can help you out! Come to our website www.trans-supply.com and shop around!
Reflective Sheeting Types
There are three different common types of reflective sheeting, and we will help you understand the differences in this post. For those who don’t know, reflective sheeting is the orange/white stripes commonly seen on traffic barricades, traffic drums and sometimes on barriers. Delineators usually have white stripes of reflective tape on them.
They are designed to make the product easier to be seen during the day and night. Headlights or sunlight reflect off the tape to make the product more visible. Now the most basic and least reflective version (but in many instances, it will do) is the Engineer Grade option. It is also the least expensive. The next step up in reflectivity is Hi Intensity, some states require this grade on certain roads so do your research before purchasing, especially if you are using your products on a state road!
The most reflective and expensive option is Diamond Grade and in some cases this is required for state roads at certain speeds. But it does depend on the state. This grade will ensure the cars will see the products.
Our website www.trans-supply.com sells reflective tape as well as traffic barricades, barricade lights, traffic cones and more. Click on the following link to see our reflective tape options: https://www.trans-supply.com/c-90-tape-and-paint.aspx
Types of Barricade Lights
Continuing with the theme of explaining the different types of products (we did traffic barricades before) we will explain the different variations of barricade lights in this post. The first we will talk about is solar versus battery powered. A solar barricade light is usually $10 to $20 more expensive per unit but will not need to have it’s batteries replaced. A typical battery powered light will need it’s batteries replaced every 3-5 months. Most of my customers prefer solar as you ‘set it and forget it’. No maintenance involved.
Now another option is the intensity of the light. There are ‘Hi Intensity’ lights that are called ‘Type B’ lights. These are bright enough to be easily seen during the day. A regular barricade light is not intended to be seen during the day and will usually shut off automatically as soon as the sun comes up.
If choosing a battery powered light, you have an option of 6 Volt or D Cell. In this case it means a light that takes 6 Volt batteries or D Cell batteries, usually one 6 Volt battery and four D Cell batteries are needed, respectively. Most people choose a D Cell as the base is smaller so it’s a more compact unit. The 6 Volt version has a more traditional look.
Another option when it comes to battery powered lights is LED or non LED. Choosing to have LEDs in your barricade light will cost you between $3 and $7 extra but will make the light brighter. Other options include lens colors and hot stamping the barricade light with text. Changing the lens from the usual yellow to red or clear will typically cost you more, and hot stamping a light will typically involve a ‘set up’ fee and a per item stamp fee around 50 cents each.