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.