Effectively Managing Your Traffic Equipment
Humans have three things on the brain when driving to work; is the traffic bad? Am I going to be late? And do I have time for coffee? Without guidance from traffic control equipment and supplies, the short commute to work becomes a perilous, slow and infuriating drive to work. The risks and hazards become increasingly dangerous without the right traffic control safety equipment.
Traffic safety equipment helps the flow of traffic and ultimately keeps everyone safe. Let’s discuss the different traffic supplies that are needed in achieving maximum road safety and how they should be installed and managed.
Electronic Traffic Control Safety Equipment
Variable Message Signs (VMS)
One of the easiest ways to communicate important information to drivers is through Variable Message Signs. Variable Message Signs are used to communicate road work dates, road closures, upcoming hazards, public announcements etc.
Roads in Australia are regularly maintained and serviced; VMS helps in notifying the general public without having to install permanent signs, which can be very expensive.
Just like servicing a car, all traffic management equipment must be maintained, and the quality must be upheld. Any faulty VMS boards could cause road confusion, traffic jams and even accidents. Ongoing maintenance and equipment checks are important to ensure equipment operates successfully.
Installing VMS boards is a very crucial step to maximising the effectiveness of electronic traffic control safety equipment. VMS need to be set up in a correct location, that does not obstruct motorists and other road workers. They also need to be placed correctly so the message is clearly visible to motorists. At RPM Hire our logistics team are trained equipment professionals and ensure correct processes are followed during VMS delivery, installation and pick up.
Other Electronic traffic safety control equipment includes;
Portable Traffic Lights
Portable traffic lights are highly productive, cost-effective, and they are great for controlling the safety of traffic around road construction works in low-speed areas. The traffic light units are mounted onto two small trailers that join together as one compact trailer, for ease of travel. Portable traffic lights can be used during a power outage, during road construction and road maintenance, emergency response and utility work.
Variable Speed Limit Signs
Variable speed limit signs establish traffic control safety by modifying the speed limits, according to the weather and traffic conditions. Depending on your project requirements one or many VSLS can be implemented to advise speed limits. They can also be programmed in advance to display different speeds at different times, as per the traffic control requirements.
Arrow Boards
Arrow boards are a standard piece of roadside safety equipment; their diversity is limited, but they are perfectly suited to signalling and diverting traffic according to construction and lane closure. RPM Hire’s arrow board have a number of features that make them easier to use, such as the push button control, LED status indicator and hydraulic lift/lower system.
Using Roadside Barriers for Traffic Control Safety
Roadside barriers are one of the most common pieces of traffic control safety equipment. Just like VMS boards have their role in keeping drivers safe on the roads, roadside barriers keep both drivers, pedestrians and road construction workers safe.
Victorian Road Statistics show that roadside barriers were hit by vehicles over 3000 times in one year. Including road barriers as part of managing the safety and control of traffic is imperative.
There are four different types of barriers that RPM Hire supply; water-filled barriers, steel barriers, concrete barriers and the Highway Guard barrier system. Let’s look at the specific conditions allocated to each barrier?
- Water Filled Barriers
The Armorzone water-filled barriers are effective for city and suburbian condition where the kilometres per hour are lower. Water filled barriers are easy and quick to install and very easy to transport. They are designed to absorb and not to deflect, which is crucial when there are lots of pedestrians around. RPM Hire’s Amorzones water-filled barriers are also 100 % environmentally friendly.
- Steel Barriers
Steel barriers are the all-round barriers, used in traffic control high and low-speed areas, events and construction sites. RPM Hire’s steel barriers have a built-in shock absorbent feature making them one of the safest barriers in the world. The steel barriers are fast and easy to install, making them a practical option in high traffic areas, when you need the job to be done as quick as possible.
- Concrete Barriers
Concrete Barriers are strong, robust and instantly recognisable. They also provide a higher level of containment around a worksite. Concrete barriers offer low maintenance costs, in the instance that a barrier is damaged it can be easily removed and replaced with minimal disruption.
- The HighwayGuard
The HighwayGuard barrier system is predominantly used in high-speed areas. They have the highest level rating of protection that temporary road barriers can attain and also have a number of different anchoring options, which is suitable for unfavourable ground conditions.The HighwayGuard also is compatible with anti-noise screens which greatly benefits surrounding suburbia.
Maintaining Roadside Barriers
When using roadside barriers and electronic equipment for traffic control safety, it’s essential to maintain the quality and safety of the product itself. RPM Hire upholds frequent maintenance on all equipment providing Australian roads with nothing but the best traffic control equipment and supplies. Contact the traffic management equipment hire specialists at RPM Hire today, call 1300 479 950 or send us an online enquiry.
