It would appear the entire month of April so far really is a Fool!
As the fourth day of the month brings record low temperatures in parts of the midwest, the April Fool’s Day jokes are no longer funny. It has been a long winter. Too cold. Too snowy. Too exhausting. And while it has been a struggle to drag your family out of bed on one cold day after another, there is another problem this winter that is even more problematic. As the cold temperatures in the midwest continue to wreak havoc, the weather also prevents road crews from getting out and fixing pot holes. Throughout residential areas and on major thoroughfares alike, some of these potholes are reaching sizes that prevent any kind of safe driving opportunities.
In the last few months, any day that has been warm enough has found workers decked out in reflective safety gear in an attempt to try to fix the worst of the holes.
Reflective Logo Tape and Other Kinds of Safety Trailer Reflective Tape Increase Visibility
Regulated by government safety standards, many transportation companies use various kinds of reflective logo tape to make sure that their individual trucks, trains, and trailers are visible. For instance, the use of red and white reflective tape on a semi truck trailer creates a visible strip that catches and reflects light from a distance.
By implementing federal law requirements for reflective tape, transportation companies keep their workers and their cargo safer, but also put measures into place to keep other travelers safe. Because of these requirements, companies make sure that they have staff members who understand what size trucks must be marked with tape and other requirements.
In addition to being an asset in the transportation industry, there are many other uses for reflective logo tapes. For instance, the use of tape on steps and floor spaces helps keep workers safe. For marking sudden elevation changes to creating areas where workers need to be on lookout for industrial machines, the use of reflective tape is universal.
Consider some of these facts and figures about some of the times and places where federal regulations require the use of reflective tape:
- The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) dictates that retro reflective strips must be applied to at least 50% of any emergency vehicle’s cab and body length.
- Certified tape from the Department of Transportation (DOT) only comes in one pattern: alternating red and white sections.
- Type 1, or engineer grade, is the minimum acceptable type of reflective sheeting that can be used on emergency vehicles, according to the NFPA 91 recommendation.
- Reflective tape can effectively reduce impacts into trailers by 29%, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
- Each consisting of 12 inches strips, two pairs of reflex reflectors must be placed on the left and right upper corners of the trailer rear.
- Any truck that exceeds a 10,000 pound weight and an 80 inch width must have trailers marked with two inch wide DOT C2 Reflective tape in alternating white and red stripes.
From the potholes of the midwest to trains and semi truck trailers that travel the width of the nation, the use of reflective tapes and clothing help keep Americans safe by increasing visibility of both people and surfaces.