Avery Dennison has launched a 'Minimum Retroreflectivity Compliance Kit' which provides an affordable and easy way for USA-based officials and road sign fabricators to evaluate if an existing sign meets new federally established standards for "retroreflectivity" (the USA standard for measuring sign brightness). The kit has been developed to help state and municipal government officials maintain that their traffic and safety signs reflect enough light to be in compliance with federal regulations.
The kit contains calibration sign standards and comparison panel standards. When used in conjunction with each other, the components allow a state, county or city government agency to easily test existing signs for compliance simply by holding the kit's comparison panel next to a sign. If the sign is as bright as the panel, the sign is in compliance, if not, it needs to be replaced.
The calibration sign standards come in all required colours with retroreflectivity levels engineered to match the values specified in Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)¹ Table 2A-3. Agency personnel can easily calibrate their vision prior to conducting nighttime sign inspections and mark signs as pass, fail or marginal.
The visual assessment method using the kit is simple, effective and fully compliant with Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recommendations for sign evaluation. In accordance with the 2009 Edition of the MUTCD, state and municipalities have until January 22, 2012 to select and begin employing an assessment or management method to maintain traffic sign retroreflectivity at or above established minimums. By January 15, 2015, they must replace regulatory, warning and post-mounted guide signs that fail to meet established minimums. And, by January 22, 2018, overhead guide and street name signs that fail to meet established minimums must be replaced.
"The Avery Dennison Compliance Kit is accurate, approved and the most cost-effective method for an agency to test their existing signage and be in compliance," said Scott Chapman, traffic & safety segment manager, Avery Dennison Graphics and Reflective Solutions. "We are committed to working proactively with government agencies to ensure they are compliant with the MUTCD rules."
The retroreflective values for both the calibration sign standards and comparison panel standards are certified by Avery Dennison.
Kits are available from authorised resellers.
¹ The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), is a compilation of national standards for all traffic control devices, including road markings, highway signs, and traffic signals.
