Chains Required sign; MUTCD compliant or not?

[D-Dey65]

I just saw this sign in an article about a storm moving across the country:
http://weather.aol.com/2013/11/24/wintery-storm-threatens-thanksgiving-travels/


So are the white on black "Chains Required" signs MUTCD compliant, or is there no standard for this in the rest of the country?

[Big John]

I see this CALTRANS MUTCD but not national MUTCD:  http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/traffops/signtech/signdel/specs/R76.pdf

[briantroutman]

The national MUTCD contains white-on-blue service signs for chain-up areas but does not include any regulatory signs requiring the use of chains.




White and black would be the right color combination for a regulatory sign, although I'm not sure why CalTrans would specify a positive contrast (white-on-black) instead of the more typical negative contrast black-on-white. Perhaps they wanted the black background so the sign would stand out better in heavy snow?

The only regulatory signs I can think of that use the positive contrast legend are the NIGHT speed limit sign (for obvious reasons) and the now deprecated '71-spec "ALL TRUCKS COMMERCIAL VEHICLES NEXT RIGHT" sign. The '71 MUTCD even says "Although the standard regulatory sign color combination is a black legend on a white background, the reverse color combination, white legend on black background, is preferred for this sign." Why–I have no idea.

[Revive 755]

^ In the Dallas TX area there are a few 'Left turn signal/Left turn yield on green ball' signs that have the 'left turn signal part as white on black.

[mass_citizen]

The only regulatory signs I can think of that use the positive contrast legend are the NIGHT speed limit sign (for obvious reasons) and the now deprecated '71-spec "ALL TRUCKS COMMERCIAL VEHICLES NEXT RIGHT" sign. The '71 MUTCD even says "Although the standard regulatory sign color combination is a black legend on a white background, the reverse color combination, white legend on black background, is preferred for this sign." Why–I have no idea.

I have seen a few "ALL TRUCKS..."  signs in MA and NH that look newer than the 70s (either that or the black background hides its age). Usually prior to weigh stations.

[briantroutman]

the now deprecated '71-spec "ALL TRUCKS COMMERCIAL VEHICLES NEXT RIGHT" sign...

I have seen a few "ALL TRUCKS..."  signs in MA and NH that look newer than the 70s (either that or the black background hides its age). Usually prior to weigh stations.

It appears that the '71 spec sign was still current through the 2003 edition, when white-on-black moved from being the preferred signage to being merely an option, although they kept the white-on-black sign in the example. Then in 2009, they changed the example sign to black-on-white (and changed the legend to read "TRUCKS OVER XX TONS"), but positive contrast remains an option.

[jeffandnicole]

I just saw this sign in an article about a storm moving across the country:
http://weather.aol.com/2013/11/24/wintery-storm-threatens-thanksgiving-travels/


So are the white on black "Chains Required" signs MUTCD compliant, or is there no standard for this in the rest of the country?

I'd be more concerned about the vehicle with a burned out headlight than whether the sign is compliant or not. 

[Alps]

Fully MUTCD compliant. White on black is just as regulatory as black on white.