Traffic cone

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Traffic cones are usually used to divert traffic. The reflective sleeves are for nighttime visibility; the bosses at the top ease handling and can be used for attaching caution tape. Cones.jpg
Traffic cones are usually used to divert traffic. The reflective sleeves are for nighttime visibility; the bosses at the top ease handling and can be used for attaching caution tape.

Traffic cones, also called pylons, witches' hats, [1] [2] road cones, highway cones, safety cones, caution cones, channelizing devices, [3] construction cones, or just cones, are usually cone-shaped markers that are placed on roads or footpaths to temporarily redirect traffic in a safe manner. They are often used to create separation or merge lanes during road construction projects or automobile accidents, although heavier, more permanent markers or signs are used if the diversion is to stay in place for a long period of time.

Contents

History

Traffic cones were invented by Charles D. Scanlon, an American who, while working as a painter for the Street Painting Department of the City of Los Angeles, was unimpressed with the traditional wooden tripods and barriers used to mark roads which were damaged or undergoing repainting. Scanlon regarded these wooden structures as easily broken, hard to see, and a hazard to passing traffic. [4] Scanlon's rubber cone was designed to return to an upright position when struck by a glancing blow. The patent for his invention was granted in 1943. [5] [6]

Traffic cones were first used in the United Kingdom in 1958, when the M6 motorway opened. These traffic cones were a substitute for red lantern paraffin burners being used during construction on the Preston Bypass. [7] In 1961, David Morgan of Burford, Oxfordshire, UK believes that he constructed the first experimental plastic traffic cones, which replaced pyramid-shaped wooden ones previously used. [8]

In the United States on May 1, 1959, the Pacific Gas and Electric Company in Oakland, California adopted the policy of placing orange safety cones at the left front and left rear corners of their service trucks while parked on the street to increase visibility and safety for the workers. This policy was implemented as the result of a suggestion by their employee, Russell Storch, a cable splicer. He was awarded $45 for his suggestion. This policy is still in use today. [9]

Modern traffic cones are usually made of brightly colored thermoplastic. PVC from bottles can be recycled to make traffic cones. [10]

Usage

Traffic management

Cones in use at the "Bridgegate" entrance to the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey GWB Bridgegate entrance Sept 2016.jpg
Cones in use at the "Bridgegate" entrance to the George Washington Bridge in Fort Lee, New Jersey

Traffic cones are typically used outdoors during road work or other situations requiring traffic redirection or advance warning of hazards or dangers, or the prevention of traffic. Traffic cones are also used to mark where children are playing or to block off an area. For night time use or low-light situations traffic cones are usually fitted with a retroreflective sleeve to increase visibility. On occasion, traffic cones may also be fitted with flashing lights for the same reason.

In the US, cones are required by the US Federal Highway Administration's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) to be fitted with reflective white bands to increase night-time visibility. Reflective collars, white strips made from white reflective plastic, slip over cones snugly, and tape or adhesive can be used to permanently attach the collars to the cones.

Types and sizes

Traffic cone on the right is used to indicate that no parking is allowed (UK) Traffic cones london.jpg
Traffic cone on the right is used to indicate that no parking is allowed (UK)

Traffic cones are designed to be highly visible and easily movable. Various sizes are used, commonly ranging from around 30 cm (11.8 in) to a little over 1 m (39.4 in). Typical traffic cones are fluorescent "safety" orange, but other bright colors including yellow, pink, red, and lime green are also used, with the color depending on context in some countries. The cones usually have a retroreflective strip (commonly known as "flash tape") to increase their visibility at night.

In the United States, they come in such sizes as:

  • 12 in (305 mm), 1.5 lb (0.68 kg) – for indoor/outdoor applications
  • 18 in (457 mm), 3 lb (1.4 kg) – for outdoor applications such as freeway line painting
  • 28 in (711 mm), 7 lb (3.2 kg), (also called Metro cones for their use in cities) – for non-highway applications such as local streets
  • 28 in (711 mm), 10 lb (4.5 kg) – for freeway/highway applications (with reflective stripes)
  • 36 in (914 mm), 10 lb (4.5 kg) – for freeway/highway applications (with reflective stripes)

In New Zealand, they are compliant in two sizes for use on all roads; these are:

  • 35 in (900mm), up to 16.5 lb (7 kg) - for all activities on all roads. (with two reflective stripes)
  • 17.7 in (450mm), up to 16.5 lb (7 kg) - for the protection of wet road markings only (with one reflective stripe)

Other forms

Cones are easy to move or remove. Where sturdier (and larger) markers are needed, construction sites use traffic barrels (plastic orange barrels with reflective stripes, normally about the same size as a 55- US-gallon (46  imp gal ; 208  L ) drum). When a lane closure must also be a physical barrier against cars accidentally crossing it, a Fitch barrier, in which the barrels are filled with sand, or a Jersey barrier is used.

In many countries such as Australia and in some American states such as California, traffic barrels are rarely seen; pillar-shaped moveable bollards are instead used where larger and sturdier warning or delineation devices are needed. Typically, bollards are 1,150 mm (45 in) high fluorescent orange posts with reflective sleeve and heavyweight rubber bases. Larger devices such as barrier boards may be used instead of cones where larger areas need to be excluded or for longer periods.

Indoor and non-traffic use

Cones are used to lay out courses for autocross competitions.

Cones are also frequently used in indoor public spaces to mark off areas which are closed to pedestrians, such as a restroom being out of order, or to denote a dangerous condition, such as a slippery floor. They can be used on school playgrounds to limit areas of a playing field, and on ice rinks to define class, private party, or private lesson areas. Some of the cones used for this purpose are miniature, as small as 5 cm (2.0 in) tall, and some are disposable full-size cones made of biodegradable paper.

Being distinctive, easily portable and usually left unguarded, traffic cones are often stolen. Students are frequently blamed, to the extent that the British National Union of Students has attempted to play down this "outdated stereotype". [11]

Duke of Wellington statue, with cone (and reserve cones on standby) Wfm duke of wellington.jpg
Duke of Wellington statue, with cone (and reserve cones on standby)

In 2007, artist Dennis Oppenheim commemorated the traffic cone with a monumental sculpture of five five-metre-tall cones. They were installed temporarily in Miami, [12] Seattle's Olympic Sculpture Park, [13] and Seoul, Korea.

An orange-and-white cone is the logo used by VideoLAN (best known for its VLC media player software).

German group Kraftwerk featured traffic cones on their first two albums, as well as in their concerts at the time.

Traditionally, but unofficially, the Wellington Statue in Glasgow is decorated with a traffic cone. The presence of the cone is given as the reason the statue is in the Lonely Planet 1000 Ultimate Sights guide (at number 229) as a "most bizarre monument". [14]

Television

The Traffic Cones is a Belgian TV series on Nickelodeon created by Pascal Adant. [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Retroreflector</span> Device to reflect radiation back to its source

A retroreflector is a device or surface that reflects radiation back to its source with minimum scattering. This works at a wide range of angle of incidence, unlike a planar mirror, which does this only if the mirror is exactly perpendicular to the wave front, having a zero angle of incidence. Being directed, the retroflector's reflection is brighter than that of a diffuse reflector. Corner reflectors and cat's eye reflectors are the most used kinds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pedestrian crossing</span> Place designated for pedestrians to cross a road, street or avenue

A pedestrian crossing is a place designated for pedestrians to cross a road, street or avenue. The term "pedestrian crossing" is also used in the Vienna and Geneva Conventions, both of which pertain to road signs and road traffic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High-visibility clothing</span> Safety clothing

High-visibility clothing, sometimes shortened to hi vis or hi viz, is any clothing worn that is highly luminescent in its natural matt property or a color that is easily discernible from any background. It is most commonly worn on the torso and arm area of the body. Health and safety regulations often require the use of high visibility clothing as it is a form of personal protective equipment. Many colors of high visibility vests are available, with yellow and orange being the most common examples. Colors other than yellow or orange may not provide adequate luminescence for conformity to standards such as ISO 20471.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traffic sign</span> Signboard displaying information for road users

Traffic signs or road signs are signs erected at the side of or above roads to give instructions or provide information to road users. The earliest signs were simple wooden or stone milestones. Later, signs with directional arms were introduced, for example the fingerposts in the United Kingdom and their wooden counterparts in Saxony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warning sign</span> Sign that warns people for a risk or danger

A warning sign is a type of sign which indicates a potential hazard, obstacle, or condition requiring special attention. Some are traffic signs that indicate hazards on roads that may not be readily apparent to a driver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cat's eye (road)</span> Retroreflective safety device used in road marking

A cat's eye or road stud is a retroreflective safety device used in road marking and was the first of a range of raised pavement markers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stop sign</span> Traffic sign alerting drivers to stop

A stop sign is a traffic sign designed to notify drivers that they must come to a complete stop and make sure the intersection is safely clear of vehicles and pedestrians before continuing past the sign. In many countries, the sign is a red octagon with the word STOP, in either English or the national language of that particular country, displayed in white or yellow. The Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals also allows an alternative version: a red circle with a red inverted triangle with either a white or yellow background, and a black or dark blue STOP. Some countries may also use other types, such as Japan's inverted red triangle stop sign. Particular regulations regarding appearance, installation, and compliance with the signs vary by some jurisdictions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roadworks</span> Construction of surfacing/building road with asphalt or concrete

Roadworks occur when part of the road, or in rare cases, the entire road, has to be occupied for work relating to the road, most often in the case of road surface repairs. In the United States road work could also mean any work conducted in close proximity of travel way (thoroughfare) such as utility work or work on power lines. The general term of road work is known as work zone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raised pavement marker</span> Road safety device

A raised pavement marker is a safety device used on roads. These devices are usually made with plastic, ceramic, thermoplastic paint, glass or occasionally metal, and come in a variety of shapes and colors. Raised reflective markers, such as plastic, ceramic, or metal ones, include a lens or sheeting that enhances their visibility by retroreflecting automotive headlights, while glass road studs gather automotive headlights with a dome shape and reflect the lights with a reflective layer within. Some other names for specific types of raised pavement markers include convex vibration lines, Botts' dots, delineators, cat's eyes, road studs, or road turtles. Sometimes they are simply referred to as "reflectors".

<i>Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices</i> National traffic control manual of the Federal Highway Administration

The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways is a document issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) to specify the standards by which traffic signs, road surface markings, and signals are designed, installed, and used. In the United States, all traffic control devices must legally conform to these standards. The manual is used by state and local agencies as well as private construction firms to ensure that the traffic control devices they use conform to the national standard. While some state agencies have developed their own sets of standards, including their own MUTCDs, these must substantially conform to the federal MUTCD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bollard</span> Post used for mooring, traffic etc.

A bollard is a sturdy, short, vertical post. The term originally referred to a post on a ship or quay used principally for mooring boats. It now also refers to posts installed to control road traffic and posts designed to prevent automotive vehicles from colliding or crashing into pedestrians and structures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Road surface marking</span> Any kind of device or material used on a road surface to convey official information

Road surface marking is any kind of device or material that is used on a road surface in order to convey official information; they are commonly placed with road marking machines. They can also be applied in other facilities used by vehicles to mark parking spaces or designate areas for other uses. In some countries and areas, road markings are conceived as horizontal traffic signs, as opposed to vertical traffic signs placed on posts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Botts' dots</span> Round non-reflective raised pavement markers

Botts' dots are round non-reflective raised pavement markers. In many parts of the US, Botts' dots are used, along with reflective raised pavement markers, to mark lanes on highways and arterial roads. They provide tactile and auditory feedback to drivers when moving across designated travel lanes, and are analogous to rumble strips.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clearview (typeface)</span> Humanist sans-serif typeface family for guide signs on roads in the United States

Clearview, also known as Clearview Hwy, is the name of a humanist sans-serif typeface family for guide signs used on roads in the United States, Canada, Indonesia, the Philippines, Israel, Brazil and Sri Lanka. It was developed by independent researchers with the help of the Texas Transportation Institute and the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, under the supervision of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). It was once expected to replace the FHWA typefaces in many applications, although newer studies of its effectiveness have called its benefits into question.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Retroreflective sheeting</span> Reflective material

Retroreflective sheeting is flexible retroreflective material primarily used to increase the nighttime conspicuity of traffic signs, high-visibility clothing, and other items so they are safely and effectively visible in the light of an approaching driver's headlamps. They are also used as a material to increase the scanning range of barcodes in factory settings. The sheeting consists of retroreflective glass beads, microprisms, or encapsulated lenses sealed onto a fabric or plastic substrate. Many different colors and degrees of reflection intensity are provided by numerous manufacturers for various applications. As with any retroreflector, sheeting glows brightly when there is a small angle between the observer's eye and the light source directed toward the sheeting but appears nonreflective when viewed from other directions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barrier board</span> Board used to direct or restrict traffic

Barrier boards are typically long plastic or wooden beams or metal plates used during road works and similar activities to cordon off areas, close roads or direct traffic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Construction barrel</span> Cylindrical marker used for traffic management

Construction barrels are traffic control devices used to channel motor vehicle traffic through construction sites or to warn motorists of construction activity near the roadway. They are used primarily in the United States, but are occasionally used in Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica. They are an alternative to traffic cones which are smaller and easily hit by vehicles. Drums tend to command more respect from drivers than cones as they are larger, more visible, and give the appearance of being formidable obstacles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traffic barricade</span>

A traffic barricade is a type of barricade used to control the flow of traffic or block access to an area, generally for safety purposes. Traditionally made of wood, or wood and steel, many now have structural members made wholly of plastic or composite materials, and may be fitted with flashing lights.

Road traffic control devices are markers, signs and signal devices used to inform, guide and control traffic, including pedestrians, motor vehicle drivers and bicyclists. These devices are usually placed adjacent, over or along the highways, roads, traffic facilities and other public areas that require traffic control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glossary of road transport terms</span>

Terminology related to road transport—the transport of passengers or goods on paved routes between places—is diverse, with variation between dialects of English. There may also be regional differences within a single country, and some terms differ based on the side of the road traffic drives on. This glossary is an alphabetical listing of road transport terms.

References

  1. McInerney, Matthew (22 July 2014). "Footballer gets 15-year ban for witch's hat attack". The Chronicle . News Corp Australia. Archived from the original on 25 June 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  2. Parish, Rebecca (6 April 2017). "No agencies own up as Killara locals search for witches hats owner". The Daily Telegraph . News Corp Australia . Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  3. "FHWA – MUTCD – 2003 Edition Revision 1 Fig.6F-7-1 Long Description". Federal Highway Administration . Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  4. "INTERSTATE RUBBER PROD. CORP. v. RADIATOR SPECIALTY CO". United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. 214 F.2d 546 (1954). Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  5. "US Patent US2333273 A" . Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  6. "History of The Traffic Cone". Traffic Safety Store. 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  7. "Cones". TPR Traffic Solutions. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  8. Eccentric Britain, 2nd: The Bradt Guide to Britain's Follies and Foibles. Bradt Travel Guides. 2005. pp. 49–51. ISBN   9781841621227 . Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  9. PG&E file number 761.1, Suggestion number 1-1759 a letter dated May 1, 1959 from PG&E awarding Mr. Russell Storch an employee of PG&E $45.00 for his suggestion of the use of the cones
  10. "Plastic". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 2010. Retrieved 25 February 2010. PVC recovered from bottles may be used in traffic cones
  11. "Rowdy students 'must be tackled'". BBC Online . 24 January 2006. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  12. "Scope Miami-2007". 10 December 2007. Retrieved 2009-02-12.
  13. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, "Oppenheim's big cones are a caution", May 29, 2008
  14. Bain, Andrew (2011). Lonely Planet's 1000 Ultimate Sights (1st ed.). Footscray, Vic.: Lonely Planet. ISBN   978-1742202938.
  15. "Un dessin-animé belge sur Nickelodeon" [A Belgian cartoon on Nickelodeon]. mon-programme-tv.be (in French). June 6, 2010. Archived from the original on June 8, 2010. Retrieved 2016-06-17.