Signs & Stuff

Peternz asked if I would elaborate on the setting up of signs. He made the point in a comment that some seem to be forgotten, and often they are unattended.

Firstly we can't just put up signs unless we have a good reason for doing so, especially temporary speed limits. A trained person must do it under delegated authority. They carry legal weight.

There is a manual (download) we use for the various traffic plans, forms to be filled in, and a record kept of the time they are set up and taken down.

In practice this is a routine. We can do very little on the road without setting up signs. They may be as simple as the working man symbol, or the full monty with speed restrictions, lots of cones, etc.
When we have finished working on the road, If there is even a slight risk of danger to traffic, warning signs are left up.

We could be liable if there was an accident caused by the condition we left the road in. In the case of a fatal accident we could end up in court, charged with manslaughter. This has happened before.

"Recent decisions from the Courts and Coroner now mean that road signs are left out a lot longer than previous because contractors are obliged to inform motorists, motorcyclists and cyclists of any problems with the road."

Often they are ignored and we regularly have crashes on road works sites, and lots of them.
Loose sealing chip is the main culprit.
In NZ more motorists are killed in road works then road workers.

We also try and protect fresh new surfaces by slowing traffic. We like you to drive slowly, smoothly, and if it's a hot day, don't stop!

Usually if we must leave a speed restriction it will be 50kph. If we are working, then 30kph.
It seems slow in a car, but I can assure you it is quite fast for us working only a metre or so away from you. Ignore them at your peril.

Where things go wrong perhaps, is in the construction season. Signage can, and does, get forgotten, there is a web site to report them.
Also the trucking companies are not shy when it comes to lengthy road works and delays. They carry a bit of clout too.

In practice though, signs are expensive. They form a big cost to a roading company. They are subject to vandals, damage, and theft. Our boss is always wringing his hands over precious signs being left out on the road at the mercy of the public.

Me; I like the "Home Time" sign from the boss....

Self Expression

"BOSTON -- A Chelmsford, Mass., man has complied quite a collection of road signs, traffic signals and even a railroad gate in his front yard
Dan Pascucci said that his neighbors don't like his music or art collection.
"It's my form of decoration. People like pink flamingoes and wooden animals, and that's my kind of show, you know. I like the signs and the signals. That's my thing," he said.
One of his neighbors says it's a driving distraction, and wants a judge to red light the display.
"About two years ago, my neighbor moved into the neighborhood. He's got this unique hobby of putting up signs on his property, which are fine. One, two signs are OK, but as more and more signs accumulated, we got very nervous," he said.
But then, came the piece de resistance -- a full-scale, fully operational, railroad crossing.
"That was the straw that broke the camel's back," Steven Giles said.
Giles went to court, insisting the signs violate town bylaws. The town isn't sure what it can or will do. Meanwhile, Pascucci's lawyer advised him to take down the signs before things got too confusing. All that remains is a vintage, filling station driveway bell.
"Yeah, it kind of stinks," Pascucci said. "It's my way of expressing myself, you know."

Looking after the zillion or so signs on our stretch of the highway is a full time job for one man.
They are continually being knocked over, shot at, spray bombed, even set on fire. They need regular washing, especially those that are permanently in the shade, which grow moss & lichen and slowly go green. They have to be checked for correct alignment, height, and distance from the roadside. Most are High Visibility, and rely on gazillions of tiny glass beads to reflect light. They are not cheap.
Prowling the roads checking them with our sign man is an education. He has a Google Map vision of the road, and knows every sign personally. Constantly having to fill in various sign sheets has also given him an encyclopedic knowledge of the reference points on the road. (If you have been paying attention, you will know that reference points, or RP's, are the kilometre pegs which tell us where officially we are..)
Over on the always fascinating PLEP there is a link to a delightful story of a sign lover. "He is legendary in the neighborhood, a mysterious figure trapped and enchanted by a love of road signs and little metal markers...."

We would give Johnny Signmaker a job, anytime.