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 Are Your Sign Supports Breakway Yet?
The 2000 edition of the MUTCD made breakaway sign supports mandatory within the clear zone.
What is the Clear Zone?
A driver of a vehicle that leaves the roadway might be able to regain control of the vehicle and return to the roadway if the open space adjacent to the roadway is clear, unobstructed and relatively flat. This area is know as the "clear zone". The width of the clear zone is a function of the speed of traffic, traffic volume, steepness of the side slopes, and curvature of the road. State highway agencies have accepted procedures for determining the required clear zones for roadways.
V-Loc is a state of the art, re-usable breakaway anchor. It anchors posts for signs, mailboxes and many other applications. This V-Loc socket can be installed in concrete, asphalt or dirt, safely by one man in a matter of minutes. Once the V-Loc is installed, insert your post/adapter and drive in the patented wedge, locking the post into the anchor without the need for any additional hardware.
The strong V-shaped steel fins hold the socket securely in the ground. V-Loc's patented design resists movement, both from wind vibration and in the event of a knockdown. If a knockdown occurs, the socket is re-useable, requiring only the replacement of the locking wedge. You save re-installation time and money on every knockdown.
Breakaway Sign Supports are Required.
Rigid objects close to a roadway can become deadly hazards when struck by a vehicle that strays off the pavement. Supports for road signs, frequently placed close to the roadway, are hazards if they are not designed, manufactured, and constructed to break away upon impact. Even relatively small and innocent looking road sign supports can be deadly if they are not designed to break away. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), which is the national standard used for all roads open to public travel, states that roadside sign supports in the clear zone shall be breakaway, yielding, or shielded. This requirement applies to all roads, whether publicly or privately owned. Although state highway agencies are generally in compliance already, the FHWA is concerned that many local agencies may not be aware of this requirement.
What Does Breakaway Mean?
"Breakaway" is often used as an umbrella term to describe crash tested sign supports that break or bend upon impact. This includes sign supports that, when struck by a vehicle, separate from the base and are knocked ahead of or up and over the errant vehicle. If also includes "yielding" sign supports - those that bend, allowing a vehicle to run over them. Many sign supports are yielding at low speeds and breakaway at high speeds. The breakaway mechanics for signs with multiple posts are different than for signs mounted on one post, but both must meet the criteria. If a sign support within the clear zone cannot meet breakaway criteria, it should be shielded with a barrier, such as a guardrail, or a crash cushion. |
