How to Ensure Your Traffic Management Plan is Ready for Bad Weather

Extreme weather can pose a major challenge when it comes to developing a traffic management plan. No matter whether you’re undertaking roadworks, a large event, or a construction project, an effective traffic plan will prevent congestion and reduce the risk of an accident.

Accounting for heavy rain, high winds and scorching heat within your traffic management plan will help you to reduce costly delays, minimise risk, and ensure the roads remain as safe and as accessible as possible. In this latest article, we thought we would take a closer look at the steps you need to follow to ensure your plan is ready for whatever the elements have in store.

What Is A Traffic Management Plan?

Before we take a closer look at the steps to help you prepare for bad weather, what is a traffic management plan? This is a strategic approach to managing and directing traffic through or around work zones, construction sites, or areas affected by road disruptions. A comprehensive plan will cover everything from the deployment of traffic control equipment to establishing safe zones, ensuring that the right signs, barriers and temporary signals are in place to guide drivers.

With a well-structured traffic management plan, road authorities and construction teams can clearly communicate route changes, closures, and any other hazards within the vicinity. This is an essential requirement for maintaining the safety and efficiency of roadways, ensuring all road users are aware of the temporary conditions or changes that might affect their travel.

Understanding the Challenges of Traffic Management in Bad Weather 

Creating any kind of traffic management plan comes with its own challenges, but severe weather can pose an even greater risk. Developers will need to adopt a flexible and proactive approach to ensuring that traffic is able to continue to flow smoothly and safely.

Weather-related Hazards

Flooding, heavy winds and extreme temperatures are some of the primary weather hazards that can have a big impact on your traffic management plan. Whether it’s through flooding, downed trees, or melting tarmac, these extreme conditions can quickly make your roads impassable, requiring traffic to be rerouted to ensure it can continue to flow smoothly.

Having a contingency plan built into your overall traffic management strategy will reduce the risk of congestion and help to minimise the risk of accidents.

Poor Visibility and Road Conditions

Severe weather conditions can impair visibility, which can make it particularly tough for drivers to see and respond quickly to road signs, barriers, and other forms of traffic control equipment. Heavy rain and fog can limit the distance drivers can see ahead, increasing the risk of an accident.

Preparing for this within your traffic management plan and implementing well-placed signage that is easy to see in low visibility can significantly improve road safety. On the road itself, wet weather reduces traction, further complicating the task of navigating through or around construction zones safely. A comprehensive traffic management plan will carefully consider these potential hazards, ensuring control measures are clear and accessible even in challenging weather.

Impact on Traffic Management Equipment

It is vital that when you’re opting for traffic management equipment that your choosing reliable and good quality equipment. RPM hire prides themselves on providing both high quality and reliable equipment to all of our customers. Choosing equipment that isn’t high quality and reliable can compromise the functionality and safety. For example, portable signs might be blown over in high winds, while heavy rain might damage non-waterproof signage. In colder weather, snow or ice may obscure equipment and barriers, reducing their effectiveness.

RPM Hire is here to ensure that your traffic control equipment is sturdy, visible and appropriate for specific weather conditions to help you to mitigate the impact, allowing your traffic plans and directives remain clear and enforceable in poor weather.

Traffic Control Equipment Solutions in Severe Weather

Choosing the right traffic control equipment is essential for maintaining effective road control even in the most adverse of weather. Ensuring you have the right equipment will help you to maintain safety and functionality.

Temporary Electronic Road Signs and Traffic Lights

When it comes to traffic control equipment, the use of electronic road signs, such as Variable Message Signs, Variable Speed Limit Signs, and Portable Traffic Lights, will help to keep road users aware of the changing conditions and inform them of direction changes or lane closures during low visibility.

These signs are highly visible, solar-powered and come equipped with backup batteries, ensuring that they remain operational even during power outages or cloudy conditions. This reliability makes them a valuable addition to any traffic management plan that needs to account for unpredictable weather.

Appropriate Lighting

Proper lighting is essential when it comes to maintaining a safe and visible work zone, especially during severe weather or low-visibility conditions. Lighting towers provide critical illumination, helping drivers to see the road ahead, as well as things such as signs, barriers, and workers.

A well-lit site helps to reduce the risk of accidents and ensures that your traffic control equipment is visible even in poor weather or night time.

Road Safety Barriers and Crash Cushions

Safety barriers and crash cushions play an essential role in protecting both drivers and construction workers in all conditions, but with adverse weather increasing the risk of an accident, they become even more important. Safety barriers help to define a safe path through a construction zone or to redirect traffic, while crash cushions absorb the impact to prevent severe injuries and stop the vehicle from redirecting into traffic.

These types of traffic control equipment also help to maintain closures, keeping traffic out of restricted zones and guiding drivers safely through designated routes.

Hire Effective Traffic Management Equipment from RPM Hire

When it comes to developing a traffic management plan that can handle extreme weather, you need equipment that you can rely on. Here at RPM Hire, we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional service and traffic control equipment.

Whether it’s electronic signs, portable lighting, or crash cushions, we can help you every step of the way. Want to find out more about how we can help you? Get in touch today!