Median Signs being Hit by Motorists

[TOHSEngineer]

My town is having issues with median signs getting hit by motorists. These are the bear right signs that are placed at the nose of medians to alert drivers of the median.

I need to research ways to decrease the danger and frequency of these collisions. So far I've come up with the following solutions:

1. Break Away Poles
2. Reflective Pole Sleeve
3. Reflective pavement markers in front of median.

Anybody else have this problem? Any additional solutions out there?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Debaser]

'Passively safe' illuminated bollard mounted sign;

http://www.glasdon.com/GlasdonUK/HierarchyProducts/rebound_signmaster[tm]_bollards_1905_True.aspx

'Passively safe' signpost of various manufacture;

http://www.ukroads.org/thepassiverevolution/scripts/products.asp?subcatid=1&catid=1

Nuclear option - crushable barrier;

http://www.asset-vrs.co.uk/pdfs/quadguard/QuadGuard CEN Product Manual.pdf

Could you give an idea (photo/GoogleEarth location) of what you mean exactly by median for those outside the US? A traffic island or a central reserve? Urban built-up, semi-urban residential/industrial, rural?

Cheers.

 

[ACtrafficengr]

Do you know whether the signs are getting hit by through traffic failing to keep right, or by left turns off the side road? That could be a key piece of information.

I noticed that the MUTCD now shows the keep right signs angled at 45 degrees to through traffic (Figures 2B-14 and 15). If left turn traffic is the culprit, then this would make the signs more conspicuous to them.

You could also add "cat tracks" or extension markings.

Debaser, except in Louisiana, the median is the area between the roadways of what y'all call a dual carriageway. In Louisiana, it is called the neutral ground.

"...students of traffic are beginning to realize the false economy of mechanically controlled traffic, and hand work by trained officers will again prevail." - Wm. Phelps Eno, ca. 1928

"I'm searching for the questions, so my answers will make sense." - Stephen Brust

 

[Debaser]

I noticed that the MUTCD now shows the keep right signs angled at 45 degrees to through traffic (Figures 2B-14 and 15). If left turn traffic is the culprit, then this would make the signs more conspicuous to them.

Interesting layout. To my eyes that 'Keep to the Right of the Island' looks more complicated than necessary. We'd tend to use simple 'Keep Right' bollards (see first link in my first post) in a similar situation, partly because they are sacrificial and unlikely to cause significant damage to a vehicle.
If it was a case of vehicles hitting the sign at the start of dualling, on the nose of the central reserve, then we'd hope that an oversized 'Keep Left' (for driving on the left) sign together with appropriate striping would be sufficient.
(See p22 & p23 for examples of how we'd do this

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/tss/tsmanual/trafficsignsmanualchapter4.pdf).

 

[teeman]

Are the signs being hit by passenger vehicles leaving the lane of travel or by large vehicles overtracking the island on turns?

If overtracking vehicles are the culprit you could try posting the sign slightly farther from the nose.

Snow plows take down a number of these signs in our area, so there is always some loss over the winter.

 

[dik]

If it is a 'real' common occurrence, then they might not be prominent or their location may be unexpected. This can be resolved by making them more visible or by changing their location a bit.

If they cannot be remedied as above, they can be protected as noted or by using fluid filled 'crash' containers that buffer the impact.

Dik