Are your Traffic Signs in compliance?

Does your business rely on traffic signs in any way, shape, or form? Think about it, even if you do not deal in traffic signs you may have a good deal more than you realize. Take a look in the parking lot the next time you are coming to work and what you will find is a number of different traffic signs all designed to keep you and your employees safe. From stop signs, to speed limit signs and everything else in between, you have to make sure that your traffic signs are in full compliance.

Being in full compliance means that your traffic signs meet the standards as set forth by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Manual on Uniform Traffic Devices (MUTCD). The MUTCD will give you such information as minimum size of the traffic signs, what they can be made out of, specified colors, and other information. You may be out of compliance and not even know it. Here are some examples of different traffic signs that are in full compliance:

Stop Signs: According to the MUTCD the minimum size of a stop sign is 18 inches by 18 inches. The colors have to be a red background with white letters and the material needs to be steel, plastic, or aluminum with reflective material on top. You may have already known all of this, but did you know that if your stop signs are older than seven years old that they must be replaced?

Yield Signs: A yield sign that is in full compliance must be at least 18 inches by 18 inches and has to be made of steel, plastic, or aluminum with reflective materials on top. The colors should be a white inner background, a red outer background, and red letters on top of the inner background.

Speed Limit Signs: A speed limit sign that is in compliance with the MUTCD has to be a minimum of 18 inches by 24 inches and also made of steel, plastic, or aluminum with reflective material on top. The background color needs to be white and the numbers need to be black. The speed limit numbers must also be in increments of five miles per hour.

These examples are in no way a complete list of what is covered in the MUTCD and what you have in your business’ parking lot could be all of these traffic signs and then some. It is important to know where you can look to find out the rules and regulations of all the traffic signs you may have at your workplace.

There are a number of different traffic signs that the MUTCD covers and you can view the most common by clicking  https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/.

You need to know whether or not your traffic signs are in full compliance according to the MUTCD. The rules and regulation exist for a reason and that reason is to keep everyone as safe as possible. Please take the time and review your business’ traffic sign compliance.

written by Mb