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On account of the increasing vehicle transport and traffic, it becomes inevitable for the federal government to introduce new rules for proper installation and an effective maintenance of the traffic road signs. Hence, it becomes imperative for the private businesses to take more care in order to ensure that they meet the newly introduced regulations and follow the new traffic laws. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is known for introducing new standards of safety and essential traffic signs in its document known as Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices that controls the kinds of signs that need to be installed on the roads, which are open for use by the public traffic. Specifications for the Traffic Signs These new rules in MUTCD are applicable to even the most basic signals such as stop signs and other street signs. As per the new federal regulations the mounted signs that need to be attached to the shaft should be at least seven feet high from the ground level to the bottom for the traffic sign. Moreover, there exist even new rules for the street signs as per the speed limit in the relevant traffic zone that requires installation of the signs. If the speed limit is 25 miles per hour or below, then the street sign needs to be six inches in height from top to bottom along with 4 inches tall lettering on it. If the speed limit goes more than the 25 miles per hour, then the sign needs to be bigger in height of 9 inches with 6 inches tall lettering. Compliance for the Traffic Signs The new federal regulations even limit which kinds of the traffic signs are compliant and which are not. The signs need to be of shape and color as per the issued specifications. For instance, the stop sign needs to be red, white in color and in an octagonal shape. The stop sign which is in rectangular or square shape are recognized as non-compliant by the federal government. In the same way, the one way traffic sign needs to have text “ONE WAY” in black color on the top of the white arrow along with black background in a rectangular shape. Any other colors and shapes would not be approved. On account of concerns due to the nighttime driving and the road safety, the federal government has issued public notices with new rules dealing with sign retro-reflectivity. As per the statistics by the FHWA, over 40,000 people are noticed to succumb to death per year on the roads of the US, while driving during the night time. Hence, the signs need to maintain a specific amount of retro-reflectivity and require to be made with specific sheeting materials or to be effectively illuminated with good external light. The MUTCD has got few standards of retro-reflectivity that traffic signs should now meet for safety purpose. The rules even specify that the kind of material that signs must be made up of should comprise Engineer Grade Type I material, Super Engineer Grade Type II as well as prismatic, high intensity beached Type III. Apart from these, the new regulations possess implications for business and several private institutions. They tend to apply to any kind of road that is accessed by the public. Hence, the small and large businesses need to review the traffic signs comprehensively on their respective property and thereby determine whether they are in accordance with the new FHWA policies or not. Ignoring these new regulations can result to be subjected to pay fine or other mentioned repercussions. Hence, it would be beneficial to check with the traffic sign professional at the earliest in order to ensure that you are up-to-date with the latest federal traffic sign laws.
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Federal regulations, public notices, traffic sign laws,
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