Call for Better Maintenance of Traffic Signs

date - The Association for Road Traffic Safety and Management (ARTSM) and the Reflective Equipment Manufacturers Association (REMA) are jointly calling for improved maintenance of traffic signs, following clarification on the implementation of Standard TD 25/01 ‘Inspection and Maintenance of Traffic Signs on Motorways and All-Purpose Trunk Roads’.

Welcoming clear direction for this very important Standard, ARTSM and REMA would now like to see increased usage of TD 25/01, not only on trunk roads but also on local authority roads, which comprise 97% of the road network. Both are adamant that adoption of the Standard by local authorities will contribute towards improved road safety.

In a joint statement ARTSM and REMA say: “Use of the Standard on local authority roads would ensure that traffic signs on all roads in the United Kingdom are maintained to a similar level of performance; a clear benefit to road safety. It would also help local authorities to meet their road safety targets, as well as their Best Value obligations to strive for continuous improvement.”

TD 25/01, part of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, applies to motorways and trunk roads in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Standard covers visual performance (including retained reflectivity and obscuration), electrical safety and structural integrity of traffic signs. It specifies that signs are to be inspected every 12 months and lays down intervention levels, categories of defect and response times.

The Code of Practice for maintenance management, ‘Delivering Best Value in Highway Maintenance’ was re-issued in July 2001. Aimed at the local road network, it demands a consistent approach, across administrative boundaries, to highway maintenance. The Code of Practice specifically references TD 25/01 in the section covering ‘Service Inspection of Traffic Signs and Bollards’ and is supported, endorsed and recommended by a number of bodies, including CSS and the Local Government Association.

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Editor’s Notes:

• Founded in 1933 ARTSM represents manufacturers or suppliers of road signage, traffic signals and systems and components for the detection, measurement, guidance or control of road traffic.

• REMA has been established for nearly 30 years and is recognised by official bodies as the representative organisation for a wide range of retroreflective products.

Editorial contact for more information:

Rosemary Vaux at

Ravenstone Public Relations Limited,

8 The Causeway,

Teddington,

Middx TW11 OHE

tel 020 8943 5343

fax 0870 164 0949

e-mail: rvaux@ravenstone-pr.demon.co.uk