Road signage, in one form or another, has been around for centuries. However, the signs and materials used to make them have changed greatly over the years. This week, we wanted to take a brief look at how they evolved into the safety signs that are in use today.
According to the U.S Department of Transportation’s MUTCD, road signage, in general, didn’t really become a priority until the late 1800s. At that time, the installation of direction related roadway signage was spurred on by a New York City based automobile club. Their efforts eventually drew the attention of others and spread to additional states.
As motor vehicle use caught on and became more affordable for the masses, the need for safety signs began to take precedence. As such, the safety signs started appearing on America’s highways and byways in the early 1900s. It started in 1911 with painted center lines in Michigan. From there, it progressed to the installation of electric traffic signals, STOP signs and more.
There was one problem though. The safety signs’ colors, shapes, sizes, materials and meanings had a tendency to vary from place to place. Therefore, their messages were often lost in translation. It wasn’t until the 1920s that uniform safety sign standards were put into place. Although those safety sign standards have changed over the years, they remain widely understood by the majority of Americans.
Many of the snap-on safety signs in use today may be obtained through our online store, Boston Safety. The snap-on safety signs that we have in stock meet the U.S. Federal Highway Administration’s guidelines. Therefore, you can count on them to be made with UV resistant, ABS plastic.
The snap-on safety signs come in two shapes and sizes. The horizontal snap-on safety signs are 12 ¾ inches wide and 10 ½ inches long. The vertical snap-on safety signs, on the other hand, are 12 inches wide and 13 ¼ inches long. Both are designed to be used with traffic safety barrels, delineators and cones. To learn more about the snap-on safety signs on offer, contact us at Boston Safety. Our toll-free number is (877) 328-2063.
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