Partner Products

3M™ Reflective Sheetings Street Name Signs Bright Backgrounds/Bright Signs

Life Cycle Costs and Value Signs for the Disabled School Zone Safety

Safety on Rural Roads Sight Distance Bicycle Routes

Reflectivity / Entrance or Observation Angle / Luminance

3M™ Reflective Sheetings

3M™ Diamond Grade™ Reflective Sheeting: Diamond Grade reflective sheeting is a cube corner reflective sheeting which is at least three times brighter than encapsulated lens sheeting and up to ten times brighter than enclosed lens sheeting. This means greater visibility for drivers in all roadway conditions. It performs at entrance angles up to 60 degrees, allowing wide flexibility in sign placement. Diamond Grade provides the brightest reflective performance of any durable sign sheeting available.

3M™ Engineer Grade Reflective Sheeting: Engineer Grade reflective sheeting is a durable enclosed lens material used successfully on traffic signs since the early 1950's. It continues to be used in areas with light traffic and slower speeds.

3M™ Hi Intensity Grade Prismatic Reflective Sheeting (HIP): High Intensity Grade reflective sheeting is used on durable traffic control signs, work zone signs and delineators. It is available in vivid daytime colors and also in pre-striped orange and white for all your barricade needs 3M™High Intensity Prismatic Reflective sheeting meets multiple specifications.

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Street Name Signs

As our driving population ages, the need for street name signs that provide greater visibility increases-particularly at night. Tourists and other drivers unfamiliar with the area must see street name signs in order to find their way to hotels, restaurants and homes.

Drivers of ambulances and other emergency vehicles also depend on highly visible street name signs in order to reach their destinations quickly - particularly when any delay can be critical.

 Street Sign Lettering: Lettering on street name signs should be at least 150 mm (6 inches) high in capital letters or 150 mm (6inches) upper case with 110 mm (4-1/2 inches) lower case letters.

Budget Concerns: Budget issues can be resolved by including street names signs funding in 9-1-1 programs with enhanced systems, street name sign costs should be recovered through funds allotted to the address tracking portion of the telephone system. And with non-enhanced systems, signage may be paid for as a non-recurring cost, with surplus funds recovered from the telephone bill surcharge.

However your community funds improve street signs, it's important to spend those dollars wisely, making sure new signage provides rescue drivers with truly effective guidance. Our street signs deliver the visibility needed, with the superior brightness and angularity that comes from using the very best materials.

When you purchase our signs you get the most reliable and effective reflective signs made. That's because we use 3M™ Reflective Sheetings.

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Bright Backgrounds/Bright Signs

Signs in urban areas must be able to compete with streetlights, commercial signs and oncoming headlights for the motorist's attention.

Studies have found that drivers need signs which are 10 times brighter in bright urban surroundings than in rural areas.

To meet these specifications of urban and suburban areas, you should look for signs that are bright enough - and will stay bright enough to compete with the light of your city. We can promise you that, because we make signs using only the best material.

High Intensity Grade Sheeting from 3M

• 3 times brighter than conventional, enclosed lens sheeting.
• Guaranteed to retain 80% of its initial specified reflectivity after ten years.

Diamond Grade™ Sheeting from 3M

• 10 times brighter than enclosed lens sheeting.
• Guaranteed to retain 50% of is initial, specified reflectivity after seven years.

These 3M reflective products perform at wide viewing angles so that even poorly aligned signs will alert the motorist on your streets and roads. Plus they are backed by 3M's exclusive replacement warranty.

When you purchase our signs you get the most reliable and effective reflective signs made. That's because we use 3M™ Reflective Sheetings.

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Life Cycle Costs and Value

Maintenance costs must be evaluated. Signs should perform over extended periods of time, to justify their cost and the cost of labor to install them. By purchasing signs that will retain their brightness for years to come, you can save maintenance dollars down the road. By purchasing signs that perform at wide viewing angles, you can provide drivers with signs that can be seen even if improperly installed or misaligned. This means an added margin of safety.

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Signs for the Disabled

It is important to provide the disabled with access to facilities that equals the access provided to others. It is equally important to mark these access areas so they can be easily located by those who need them.

Proper signs can alert the physically challenged to reserved parking spaces, drop-off zones, ramps, entrances and other places accessible to disabled people.

Signs for the disabled must have several important characteristics:

• The universal disabled symbol must be prominently displayed and easily recognized on signs.
• Signs must be large enough to be seen quickly amidst the visual clutter typical of urban areas.
• Signs must be bright and easily seen at night as well as during daylight hours.
• Signs must retain brightness over time to remain effective.

We can provide signs that clearly identify areas reserved for the physically challenged, with long-lasting brightness that stands out even in the dark.
Our signs are made from 3M™ Reflective Sheeting.

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School Zone Safety

To better protect our children, the areas where they walk should be well-signed and marked in accordance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).

School Signs Purposes

• School advance signs warn drivers that they are approaching a school zone where children may be present.
• School bus stop signs alert drivers to stops that may be hidden by terrain or the roadway.
• School speed limit signs keep traffic moving slowly.

Regardless of the purpose, all school-related signs must be highly reflective, so they are clearly visible during the hours of dawn, dusk, dark and as well as during the day. They must also be durable and cost-effective.

When you purchase our signs you get the most reliable and effective reflective signs made. That's because we use 3M™ Reflective Sheetings.

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Delivering Safety on Rural Roads

Although accidents are more likely to happen in urban areas, they are more likely to be fatal on rural roads. An effective signing program can help increase safety and decrease the possibility of accidents. However, to be effective, a signage program must meet the special requirements that a rural setting demands.

Many types of highway signs are mounted on curves or the left hand shoulder where headlights do not strike them directly. To ensure that they are easily seen by motorists, the signs must perform at wide angles to allow the driver to view them from an indirect approach.

Darkness is a critical factor because rural roads are typically not lit. Even drivers who know rural roadways well, may have trouble negotiating them at night. That is because visual cues that motorists rely on for 90-95% of their driving information disappear in the dark. Daytime driving can be hazardous too, when poor weather impairs visibility. So, signs in rural areas must be very bright in order to give drivers clear direction under poor visibility conditions.

For maximum safety on rural roadways, you should select signs that are designed to deliver exceptional brightness and angularity. Our signs not only meet those key requirements, they're also very durable for cost-effectiveness and long-lasting safety. This is because we use only the finest materials for sign construction.

When you purchase our signs you get the most reliable and effective reflective signs made. That's because we use 3M™ Reflective Sheetings.

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Sight Distance

Since rural roads are generally traveled at higher speeds, motorists need as much reaction time as possible. For instance, when traveling at a speed of 60 mph, the average driver needs up to 125 feet to identify a sign and respond accordingly. That's why signs must be placed correctly and must be readable from long distances.

Decision sight-distance model: new research figures show the actual time required for drivers to make decisions and complete safe maneuvers.

Night Vision: Over 1/3 of America's driving population is over 60. As our population ages, the need for more visible signs increases - especially at night. Older drivers have only 65 to 77% of the legibility distance of younger drivers at night.

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Bicycle Routes

Regardless of their individual messages, all bicycle path/route signs should meet the same requirements. They must be bright and clearly visible day and night, because the most dangerous times are during the hours of dawn, dusk and dark. Signs should also be durable in order to provide years of guidance for everyone sharing the roadways.

Our signs give you the long-lasting brightness you need, for high visibility around the clock - because the are made using 3M'™ Reflective Sheetings.

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Reflectivity / Entrance or Observation Angle / Luminance

If you want information on any of the above, please contact us.

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