BlinkerSign® Testimonials

From: Naval Station Mayport Safety & Health Department
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"Naval Station (NS) Mayport, Florida is the third largest Naval Facility in the continental United States. Vehicular traffic at NS Mayport is very busy, especially on weekday mornings. The crosswalk leading to Southeast Regional Maintenance Center (SERMC) had long been a dangerous area for pedestrians. In the past, many SERMC military and civilian personnel experienced near mishaps with vehicles at this crosswalk. During research efforts to find a resolution, we came across the BlinkerSign® - a solar/battery-powered flashing LED traffic sign. The BlinkerSign® is a top-of-the-line warning sign that meets all safety requirements of the Department of Transportation. The sign has yellow ultra-bright LEDs that blink up to 60 times per minute and remains on at all times.

NAS Jacksonville installed one similar to the SERMC sign and an assessment of that intersection at NAS JAX says the BlinkerSign® installed there reduced the accidents by 100 percent in the past ten months.

Prior to the installation of the new sign, Base Safety received regular complaints from personnel that had to cross the road about the safety issues and there were several near misses evidenced by skid marks in the crosswalk area. With the installation of the BlinkerSign®, SERMC employees have been impressed with the change at the crosswalk."

BlinkerStop™ Independent Evaluation

David Royer, P.E., Consulting Traffic and Highway Engineer
23933 Via Aranda, Santa Clarita, CA 91355
Tel: (661) 255-6556 Fax: (661) 255-6156
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For several decades, from 1964 to 1996, I served as a Traffic & Highway Engineer with the City of Los Angeles. In 1996, I retired as a Principal Transportation Engineer for the Department of Transportation. During this time, I conducted countless traffic studies of various types of traffic signs and other devices, including flashing beacon lights, designed to attract the attention of drivers and promote improved driver awareness leading to better highway safety.

I have had the opportunity to independently review and test the conspicuity, or visibility, of the BlinkerStop® sign. During this evaluation, the BlinkerStop® sign was installed on a roadway, which allowed 500 feet of visibility so the sign could be viewed from various approach angles. My review disclosed that the BlinkerStop® sign significantly increased the conspicuity of the stop sign without affecting the shape, color, or layout of the sign. The BlinkerStop® sign simply utilizes LED technology to illuminate the border of a standard traffic sign in a flashing mode.

The usual method of calling attention to traffic signs is through the use of beacons. A beacon is an 8-inch or 12-inch single section traffic signal head, located above or on a traffic sign. Unfortunately, beacons frequently have not proven highly effective since they are just another flashing light source. Also, beacons require 120-volt electric power supply. The BlinkerStop® sign, unlike a beacon, draws attention directly to the traffic sign and conveys not only the color, but also the physical size and geometric shape of the sign. Also, LED technology in the BlinkerStop® sign does not require an outside power supply.

The flashing LEDs can operate continuously or only at night, depending on preference. The BlinkerStop® sign has also been highway tested in California against a stop sign installed with a beacon. In both day and night tests, the results disclosed better driver reaction to the BlinkerStop® than to a beacon as an attention getting device.

It is well known that LED’s in clusters have now become sufficiently bright to be installed in traffic signal heads. However, the use of very bright, non-clustered LED’s, individually mounted on traffic signs to draw attention to the size and shape of the standard warning sign or highway construction sign to provide the benefit of this attention getting method. For example, a curve warning sign on a rural road without any electric power available could utilize this technology at any desired location.

It is concluded that the Blinkerstop® sign and its LED technology can be used to enhance the visibility of standard traffic signs and improve highway safety at problem locations without an electric power supply and without requiring installation of special or signal poles with traffic signal head systems.

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LED SIGNS REDUCE INTERSECTION BLOW-THROUGHS BY OVER 50 PERCENT!
Two intersections in Texas, one rural and one urban, were studied using a fluorescent red stop sign and a BlinkerStop® flashing red LED (Light-Emitting Diode) stop sign. Stopping-compliance data was collected with a video camera placed near the intersection, yet out of the view of drivers. All data was measured in the daytime, twilight, and nighttime periods both before and after placement of the flashing LED stop sign and again after the placement of the high intensity, fluorescent red stop sign.

STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE AT 95% LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE
Overall, the use of stop signs with red flashing LEDs embedded at each corner of the sign face had consistent statistically significant beneficial effects on daytime and nighttime stopping compliance. Statistically significant reductions of 34 to 53 percent in the rate of vehicles not-fully stopping (blow-throughs and roll-throughs) were observed during four of the five evaluation periods after installation of the flashing LED stop sign. Overall, the total rate of vehicles not fully stopping was reduced from 0.471 to 0.335 (28.9 percent reduction) after installation of the flashing LED stop sign. The flashing LED stop sign was particularly effective for reducing the rate of vehicles blowing-through the intersection, as the overall rate of occurrence was reduced from 0.051 to 0.024 (52.9 percent).

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR USE OF RED FLASHING LED STOP SIGNS
Due to their effectiveness in reducing stop sign violations, especially blow-throughs, stop signs with red flashing LEDs embedded in the corners are recommended at spot locations where a high percentage of vehicles do not comply with the stop sign. Non-compliance with the stop sign may be especially prevalent at locations where the stop sign is at least partially obstructed or in an otherwise disadvantaged position, such as extreme lateral offset and the stop condition is not reiterated by other features.

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They are big, red and no longer stop-tional.

Three flashing solar-powered stop signs were installed last year at intersections on local highways. Highway officials hope that the beacons will help cut down on accidents, but results thus far are inconclusive.

The stop signs on highway C and H in Pleasant Prairie and have Light Emitting Diode (LEDs) at each corner of the octagon. This makes them more cost effective than using electric lights, especially in rural areas where electric service is not readily available, said Gary Sipsma, director of the division of highways.

Sipsma said although the division is still evaluation the effective ness of the signs cutting down on traffic accidents, he believes some accidents occur simply because drivers don’t see the stop signs at these locations. Between June 2000 and May 2002, seven accidents occurred at the intersection of highways 45 and JB in Paris.

“All three of these locations especially at Highway 45 and JB, are after long stretches of roads where people haven’t stopped for a long time, “Sipsma said.“We’re hoping these will help reduce accidents, although it’s top early to tell.”

The majority of statewide accidents, about 80 percent, occur on rural roads. While fatal traffic accidents in the county are lower than last year, the state reported 81 fatal crashes in June, making it the deadliest June since 1995. As of July 23, the number of Wisconsin traffic fatalities was over 400, making it probable that there will be more than 800 deaths by the year’s end.

Pioneered by Traffic and Parking control, the lights were first developed three years ago, according to Bob Christensen, TAPCO marketing director.

Sipsma said TAPCO, an Elm Grove business, frequently works with the county regarding signs issues.

While a conventional stop sign has a reflective sheen that can only be seen a half mile away, the solar-powered signs can be seen two miles away. The solar panels attached to the top of the signs do not need direct sunlight, meaning they will gather energy from even gray Wisconsin days. In addition to Wisconsin, TAPCO is also testing the lighted signs on California highways, although a representative from the California Department of Transportation said many of the solar panels were stolen since they were installed in 1998.

Christensen said the signs are particularly useful for new stop signs or roads with changes in elevation.

“They help increase braking time, cut down on people running stops and reduce traffic accidents,” he said.