Tagged with 'ANSI/ISEA'

The State of Maryland seems a little bipolar when it comes to the issue of speed cameras for ticketing.

 

On one hand, it seems to be working, slowing motorists down in work zones.

 

In a Frederick News Post article originally published December 17, A review of state data by AAA Mid-Atlantic shows that by the end of November, the state had used mobile speed cameras to hand out more than 365,000 tickets in work zones. But that number was down from nearly 500,000 the year prior, with a significant decrease in highway work zones in general.

 

John Townsend of AAA noted that crashes, fatalities and injuries are all down since the speed camera program was implemented.

 

On the other hand, more than 40 percent of all speed camera tickets issued to drivers in Maryland highway work zones have been doled out between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., times when crews often aren’t on the job, as reported by the Baltimore Sun.

 

Over 24 hours, the tally rises and falls like a wave. The highest number of tickets was issued between 11 a.m. and noon — nearly 102,000. The low point came between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., with only 359 tickets for exceeding the speed limit by at least 12 mph.

 

The numbers don’t surprise Eric Tabacek, division chief in the highway administration’s Office of Traffic and Safety. He says two key factors affect citation volume: congestion and the number of cars on the highway. “Once you get a mix of free flow of a lot of traffic,” he said, “that’s when you get a lot of tickets.” That corresponds with the middle of the day.

 

Critics have complained that it’s unfair to ticket drivers when job sites are idle. Sen. Jim Brochin, a Baltimore County Democrat, has sponsored legislation to limit enforcement to times when work crews are present. More than 435,000 of the $40 tickets have been issued from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

 

But Laurie Moser is against the bill. In 2007 her husband, state highway worker Richard W. Moser, was fatally struck by a truck while leading a maintenance team near Frederick. She wonders how many deaths the cameras have prevented and has no sympathy for speeders.

 

“The real point is there are people who are consistently breaking the law,” she said in an interview. “Whether they want to acknowledge it, they increase our risk every single day.”

 



Check out these and other sale items from Hi Vis Supply, through the end of 2012.

 

The Brilliant Series bomber jacket, from ML Kishigo, offers a distinctive advantage over standard bomber jackets. The jacket features reflective piping on the collar, shoulders, hood and sleeve seams - all offering increased visibility in low light conditions. The reflective piping improves recognition of the wearer by distinguishing their silhouette from the other stationary objects around them. The durable shell is waterproof and is seam sealed for further protection from wet conditions. The 2" wide 3M Scotchlite reflective material is further enhanced by the 3" contrast color striping.

 

The jacket also utilizes a black bottom design which helps the jacket maintain a clean appearance by incorporating durable, black material in the areas which most frequently become dirty.

 

The Brilliant Series bomber jacket is good for a wide range of weather conditions because it includes a removable black quilted liner. The jacket also includes: hidden collar hood, adjustable cuffs, left chest radio pocket, two outside lower slash pockets with zippers and an inside wallet pocket. Available in both high visibility Lime and Orange; sizes M-5XL. ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 3 compliant.

 

Did you know that an "aging population" is taking over the U. S. roadways? Check out these statistics:

• A person 65 years-old needs 4X the amount of light to see at night compared to a 25 year-old.


• By 2025, The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety projects that 1 out of 4 drivers will be 65 or older.


• The larger the sign, and increased retroreflectivity, allows for quicker decision-making for older drivers and faster response times by emergency personnel,  allowing them to more easily read and understand signs thus reducing travel times to emergency situations.


• More than 50 percent of traffic accidents resulting in fatalities occur at night. Increased retroreflectivity helps to address this issue.

Street Signs

There are no requirements to replace “perfectly good signs” with new signs because of the mixed case standard. The requirements for mixed case letters in street signs generally apply when signs are replaced because of normal wear and tear. Thus, there is no added cost associated with this requirement.

Many media reports are factually incorrect when they state that signs must be replaced by January 2012. The only requirement for this date is that roadway owners have a sign management plan in place.

In 2000, the MUTCD established recommendations for minimum letter heights on street name signs. The MUTCD recommends 6” initial letter height for roads with speed limits of 40 mph or less with an option of 4” initial letter height for streets with speed limit 25 mph or less. Agencies need to evaluate and decide by January 2012 whether or not to use the recommended letter height or use an engineering study or engineering judgment to decide that a smaller letter height is acceptable.

In 2003, the MUTCD added a recommendation for letter heights of street name signs on multilane roads with speed limits greater than 40 mph. The MUTCD recommends 8” initial letter heights for post mounted and 12” letter height for overhead street name signs. Agencies need to evaluate and decide by December 2018 whether or not to use the recommended letter height or use an engineering study or engineering judgment to decide that a smaller letter height is acceptable.

Brilliant Series Class 2 Heavy Duty Vest

High-visibility protective garments are required for right-of-way workers, flaggers, and adult crossing guards in a document called the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), which is the basis for federal and state highway regulations. These garments must be compliant with ANSI/ISEA 107, the American National Standard for High Visibility Safety Apparel and Headwear.

Public safety workers such as law enforcement, firefighters, and other emergency responders have the option of wearing high-visibility vests specifically designed for their use and compliant with the ANSI/ISEA 207, American National Standard for High-Visibility Public Safety Vests.

A revision to the MUTCD published in December 2009 mandates that public safety vests be labeled as compliant with the 2006 version of the standard, or a subsequent revision. ANSI approved the revision to the standard in 2011, and the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) requested an interpretation from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) that garments meeting the new standard would be acceptable, pointing out that the requirements of the two standards for daytime and nighttime visibility are essentially the same.

FHWA has agreed, and issued an official interpretation stating that the ANSI/ISEA 207-2011 standard is equivalent to the 2006 version, and that garments labeled as meeting the 2011 standard would be in compliance with the MUTCD requirements.

This article is a re-print from Feb 07, 2012 - Occupational Health and Safety.

PSV Pro 300 Series Police
Vest with Blue Trim

The PSV Pro 300 Series Police vest features a durable mesh material with color
coded fabric trim for proper public service department identification; along
with a high visibility 2" silver reflective material with contrasting background
color. Five point breakaway design; as well as snap up flaps to allow greater
accessibility to toolbelts and gear. Each vest includes two chest mic tabs. The
vest folds into a convenient pouch for storage. The vest also offers 4-season
adjustability to accomodate bulky coats.
Be sure to visit HiVis Supply for all of your hi vis safety vest needs including hi visibility vest for flaggers, hi-vis for incident command and emergency responders.