Tom McKeown

Reduce Distracted Driving with Temporary Rumble Strips

By: Tom McKeown | September 5, 2024 | News | 0

Highway safety is a top priority for transportation agencies worldwide, and one of the most effective tools in reducing accidents is the use of temporary, portable, rumble strips. These simple yet powerful road features alert drivers when they are entering a work zone, providing improved safety for road crews. In this blog, we’ll explore the effectiveness of rumble strips, like the TrafFix Devices Alert High Speed and discuss their proper use in highway applications.

What Are Rumble Strips?

Rumble strips are grooves or raised patterns installed on the pavement surface of roads, typically along the edges or centerline. When a vehicle passes over these strips, the tires produce a vibrating sound and tactile feedback that alerts the driver. This sensory warning is especially crucial in situations where drivers may be fatigued, distracted, or simply not paying close attention.

The Run up to the Los Angeles Olympics

By: Tom McKeown | August 12, 2024August 20, 2024 | News | 0

As Olympic fever cools down, some eagle eyed viewers might have noticed the Block Axess heavy vehicle mitigation system deployed around the Olympic village to protect athletes and spectators alike. Event organizers are more wary than ever of “hazardous vehicle attacks” putting the lives of pedestrians at risk.

The Block Axess Hostile Vehicle Mitigation System protecting the perimeter of the Olympic Village at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games held in Paris, France.

This has caused cities, municipalities and private enterprise to seek vehicle mitigation devices. Hostile vehicle mitigation is an essential strategy in today’s world to counteract the increasing threat of vehicle attacks and negligent driving. Hostile vehicles, weaponized for targeting individuals, buildings, or crowded places, pose a significant risk. However, the implementation of Block Axess can fortify public spaces and vital infrastructure against such threats.

Are you Dense? HD and LD Drums

By: Tom McKeown | July 26, 2024August 23, 2024 | News | 0

In traffic control, channelizer drums play a critical role in guiding and protecting both motorists and construction crews. However, not all channelizer drums are created equal. Among the various types, high-density and low-density channelizer drums offer distinct features and benefits that cater to different needs and scenarios.

The main use case for both High Density Drums and Low Density Drums comes down to environmental factors. High Density Channelizer Drums (HDPE) will offer greater performance in areas with higher average temperatures – ensuring the structural integrity of the channelizer drum; whereas the Low Density will perform better in colder climates as it will become less brittle, preventing breakage on impact.

While many manufacturers claim to produce a low-density traffic drum, TrafFix Devices have engineered and tested our Low Density Channelizer Drum to be 100% LDPE.

Water-Wall Knowledge Base

By: Tom McKeown | July 17, 2024August 22, 2024 | News | 0

Two of the pillars of TrafFix Devices are exceptional engineering and superior customer service, upon these we build our business. The meeting point of these two pillars is the Knowledge Base.

Unlocking the Power of a Technical Knowledge Base

Having quick and reliable access to accurate technical information is crucial for any organization and is paramount to achieving cohesion between engineering technicalities and serving the customer. This is why we have now added one of our most popular products – the Water-Wall and other water filled barriers to the knowledge base.

Enhanced Customer Support

A well-maintained technical knowledge base is a valuable tool for customer support teams. It provides them with instant access to troubleshooting guides, FAQs, and product information, enabling us to assist our customers more effectively and efficiently.

Enviro-Cone: Engineered for All Weather Conditions

By: Tom McKeown | July 10, 2024August 22, 2024 | News | 0

Sustainable Products for a Better Environment - Enviro-Cone

In the world of traffic management and road safety, reliable and durable equipment is essential. The Enviro-Cone by TrafFix Devices stands out as a premier choice for traffic cones, thanks to its exceptional engineering and all-weather durability. This blog post explores the unique features of the Enviro-Cone, emphasizing its resilience and performance in diverse weather conditions.

The Challenge of All-Weather Performance

Traffic cones are vital tools for delineating lanes, guiding traffic, and ensuring safety in construction zones, accident sites, and other road scenarios. However, their effectiveness can be compromised by harsh weather conditions such as extreme heat, cold, wind, and precipitation. The Enviro-Cone addresses these challenges head-on with its advanced design and materials.

The Importance of Crash Cushion Transition Pieces/Bridge Shoes

By: Tom McKeown | June 19, 2024August 21, 2024 | News | 0

In the quest for enhanced road safety, every component plays a critical role. Among these, crash cushion transition pieces are vital yet often overlooked elements that ensure the effective performance of crash cushion systems. This blog post delves into the significance, function, and benefits of crash cushion transition pieces, highlighting their essential role in creating safer road environments, shielding the fixed obstacle in reverse direction vehicle impacts.

Transitions by themselves are not specifically approved by state DOTs – it is incumbent on the manufacturer of the crash cushion to develop test and pass a transition piece between a fixed obstacle (i.e bridge abutment) to the crash cushion to prevent potential snag points.

The importance of the HV2 MASH Temporary Barrier

By: Tom McKeown | June 5, 2024August 21, 2024 | News | 0

Back in 2022 CalTrans released Supplement to Traffic Safety Systems Guidance: Temporary Barrier Systems with the stated intention of implementing MASH approved Temporary Barriers and the phasing out of industry standard of Temporary Railing (Type K), also known as K-rail.

This transition will be a multi-year phase process beginning in 2025 with a percentage of all jobs requiring temporary barrier in the state to have MASH alternatives. This initiative puts safety at the forefront; K-rail is being phased out over the next several years because it does not meet MASH crash testing standards.

Understanding the potential burden placed on businesses, CalTrans has put forward a phase out period for jobs continuing to use K-rail through December 31 2026, and projects advertised starting January 1, 2027 must use a MASH approved temporary barrier system only.

A MASH Approved Alternative

TrafFix Devices has always been vocal supporters of MASH approved products, and as such have sought to partner and distribute the HV2 barrier which is one of the current CalTrans approved MASH barriers. HV2 is a freestanding temporary barrier product that offers fast installation and exceptional safety for use on bridge decks, highways, and other road maintenance projects.

The barrier’s patented hybrid technology and unique connectors offer high containment and low deflection, while remaining economical to transport and deploy with no time-consuming anchoring required.

Fast-Trak to TMA Success

By: Tom McKeown | May 30, 2024August 21, 2024 | News | 0

Fast-Trak SwiftConnect for the Scorpion TMA and Scorpion II TMA

We know that many contractors don’t need a TMA on every vehicle in their fleet. We also know that many customers would like to move a TMA from this truck to that truck. Fleet maintenance would also dictate the necessity for Scorpion TMA’s to be easily and somewhat regularly removed or swapped between certain vehicles. The ability to have a vehicle undergo maintenance/repair while allowing the TMA to remain in service is often critical to the business operations of our clients.

TrafFix Devices developed the Fast-Trak for the Scorpion TMA & Scorpion II TMA to solve exactly this issue, ensuring our clients can maintain a Scorpion in-service more often. The ability to remove and replace the Scorpion TMA ensures that a truck can be multi-purpose and maintain its original intended use or that other trucks can carry the TMA when some are being serviced. Moreover, the Fast-Trak enables arrow and message board installations to work as an easily removable truck frame extension to clear anything hanging off the back of the truck.

Work Zone Awareness: TrafFix Alert High Speed Rumble Strip

By: Tom McKeown | May 22, 2024August 21, 2024 | News | 0

Recently we posted on the sobering statistics of roadworker safety/fatalities, and the instruments deployed by Departments of Transportation and road crews alike to help reduce the risks to workers as well as raise the awareness of drivers. One of the main takeaways from that article is that most of the risks occur in high-speed (60 MPH+) applications/work zones.

Work zones of our highways pose unique challenges for all involved. Areas of high-speed place similar demands on the drivers’ attention and quick reaction times. Distractions, fatigue, and inattentiveness can lead to serious accidents, especially in work zones, transition areas, and rural highways. Which is why numerous methods are deployed to alert motorists when entering a work zone:

Safeguarding Road Workers: TrafFix Devices’ Response to Fatality Rates

By: Tom McKeown | May 15, 2024August 21, 2024 | News | 0

Attenuation Technology that Saves Lives — TrafFix Devices

Recent news articles reporting statistics on road worker fatalities have sparked concern and renewed efforts to enhance safety measures on our roads as seen in the U.S. Sun article highlighting a new “Move Over or Slow Down” law in Texas, and ABC News 10 (WHEC-TV) reporting on a New York Thruway worker struck on I-90.

According to data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, total Work Zone traffic fatalities in 2022 were 891. Pedestrian fatalities accounted for 136 of these. Pedestrians are identified in FARS as being at work or a construction, maintenance, utility worker, or a transportation worker (e.g., maintenance workers, safety service patrol operators).

In light of these alarming figures, TrafFix Devices reaffirms its commitment to protecting road workers and reducing risks through innovative solutions like the Scorpion truck-mounted attenuator (TMA/TTMA).

Author: Tom McKeown

Reduce Distracted Driving with Temporary Rumble Strips

What Are Rumble Strips?

The Run up to the Los Angeles Olympics

Are you Dense? HD and LD Drums

Water-Wall Knowledge Base

Unlocking the Power of a Technical Knowledge Base

Enhanced Customer Support

Enviro-Cone: Engineered for All Weather Conditions

The Challenge of All-Weather Performance

The Importance of Crash Cushion Transition Pieces/Bridge Shoes

The importance of the HV2 MASH Temporary Barrier

A MASH Approved Alternative

Fast-Trak to TMA Success

Work Zone Awareness: TrafFix Alert High Speed Rumble Strip

Designed for Roadways with Speed Limits up to 70mph [113kph]

Insignificant Movement at High Speeds

Highly Visible on Concrete or Asphalt

Safeguarding Road Workers: TrafFix Devices’ Response to Fatality Rates