Three questions on Fluorescent Pink Incident Management signs

[Pink Jazz]

In the 2003 MUTCD, Fluorescent Pink became an optional alternative to Orange for incident management signs.  I have a few questions that I am curious about them:

First, does your area use them?  I have seen them in use by ADOT, but I have yet to see the cities use them.  Since such signs are generally up for a very short amount of time, it is unlikely that you will see them in everyday driving.

Second, what are the guidelines on retroreflectivity values for Fluorescent Pink signs?  Does it use the same values as Orange and Fluorescent Orange, or is it exempt like Blue, Brown, and Purple?  The MUTCD website makes no mention at all on the retroreflectivity values for Fluorescent Pink, nor is it mentioned as part of the exempt color list.

Third, does anyone think in the next MUTCD it will become mandatory for incident management signs?  After all, the purpose of Fluorescent Pink is to distinguish them from the Orange used for work zones.

[Takumi]

I saw one once at the I-95/I-85 interchange, for a truck accident. That's it.

[jakeroot]

I've always thought that pink was a funny color for signs. With that said, I used to never see them. Now I see them all the time.

I'm not sure I like them. People will get super rubberneck'd when they see pink. Ideally, we can just use normal yellow signage.

[jeffandnicole]

I've seen them in NJ on very rare occasion.

[Brian556]

Of course they are required to be reflective. All signs are. They are beneficial particularly for incidents that take a long time to resolve. The pink color is good cause it differentiates them from construction signs.

They are typically used at major incidents that require DOT help to clean up. DOT typically posts them. Fire and Police Departments generally don't.

There are many instances when they are really needed, and they are not used. If emergency responders would make more effort and post them, they might not get struck near as often. Lane blockages on controlled access highways need advance warning. So do situations where traffic is stopping in rural area where congestion is not common. I often see police vehicles attempting to warn of this by sitting on the side of the road with their lights on just before the congestion, but nobody knows what they are there for.

For those of you that are thinking that emergency lights are enough, remember that those driving behind 18-wheelers can't see the road ahead, and therefore have no clue what's up ahead.

[Pink Jazz]

Of course they are required to be reflective. All signs are. They are beneficial particularly for incidents that take a long time to resolve. The pink color is good cause it differentiates them from construction signs.

I would like to know if there are any specific retroreflectivity values for Fluorescent Pink based on the sheeting type.  Does it use the same values as Orange and Fluorescent Orange?

As of the 2009 MUTCD, there are no specific values for Blue, Brown, or Purple due to lack of testing at the time it went into effect, however, the testing for the specific values for Blue and Brown has since been completed and will likely be incorporated into the next MUTCD.  The 2009 MUTCD makes no mention at all of Fluorescent Pink in its retroreflectivity values table, but at the same time does not make any mention of it on its exempt color list either.

[Scott5114]

Surprised you haven't posted anything on the topic of fluorescent pink signs before.

I've never seen one in person, so I'm guessing Oklahoma doesn't use them at all. Haven't seen any in MO or KS either.

[cpzilliacus]

I saw one once at the I-95/I-85 interchange, for a truck accident. That's it.

I have seen one deployed for crash investigation on the eastbound side of U.S. 50 in Frederick County, Virginia (between the West Virginia border and Winchester).

Seems that VSP (or maybe VDOT) has those signs.

[realjd]

I've seen a few here in FL, mostly for accidents, forest fires, and such. They're not common. None are reflective because they're all very short term signs, and look like they're made of fabric or something. TBH I can't think of a use for these signs that would require a reflective, semi-permenant installation.

[Pink Jazz]

I've seen a few here in FL, mostly for accidents, forest fires, and such. They're not common. None are reflective because they're all very short term signs, and look like they're made of fabric or something. TBH I can't think of a use for these signs that would require a reflective, semi-permenant installation.

Actually, there are indeed some fabric signs that use retroreflecitve sheeting; I think I remember ADOT's fluorescent pink signs being retroreflective.  Such signs typically use Type VI sheeting, which is vinyl-backed in order to be flexible.

[ET21]

I have yet to see one since I started driving in Chicagoland

[6a]

I've seen a few here in FL, mostly for accidents, forest fires, and such. They're not common. None are reflective because they're all very short term signs, and look like they're made of fabric or something. TBH I can't think of a use for these signs that would require a reflective, semi-permenant installation.

Yeah, those are the only ones I've seen here. Almost looks like it's part of an officer's trunk kit.

[Sykotyk]

Tow-truck and road-service operators have them either for crash scenes, or for getting a vehicle off the side of the road. I've seen several "Truck Repair Ahead" cloth signs in pink and then the road service truck with the tractor-trailer disabled on the shoulder.

Nice to have a temporary, quick sign to put up to alert of danger further down the road.

[Scott5114]

It's hard to tell sometimes if those signs are actually pink or just orange that's faded out by the light passing through the cloth.

[MASTERNC]

I saw them once in Maryland on I-68

[Pink Jazz]

Here is an example of a rollable retroreflective Fluorescent Pink sign:


Just because signs are rollable doesn't mean they can't be retroreflective.

[cl94]

Parts of New York use them. I've seen them on several occasions near Buffalo. All rollable, all retroreflective.

[triplemultiplex]

It's hard to tell sometimes if those signs are actually pink or just orange that's faded out by the light passing through the cloth.

Or they look like someone's CMYK printer is out of Y.

[dcbjms]

Haven't seen any yet, though I'm tempted to play "The Stripper" on the car radio if I saw one.

[billtm]

Wow. I have never seen or heard about them before.

[PurdueBill]

Ohio has used them for a few years now.  I got these pictures sitting in the backup behind a wreck on I-71 SB three years ago (truck took loop ramp from US 30 to 71 SB way too fast, wiping out yellow arrow sign with flashing lights and losing his load all across all three SB lanes; only half the left shoulder could get through) that involved a flock of ODOT vehicles in addition to emergency vehicles.  I have seen them around some other Ohio locations as well, but I was sitting still by the Accident Ahead one long enough that I could get as many photos of it as I liked.  They were rollable signs but definitely also reflective.

[Pete from Boston]

These are so generally unfamiliar that my first reaction would probably be "Oh, it's breast cancer awareness month."

[hm insulators]

I've seen one. I was driving from Phoenix to San Jose, so this was in 2011. I was heading west on I-10 and there was an accident on the 10 just beyond the California 60 split, near Beaumont. I bailed out onto the 60.

[Pink Jazz]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but a little more than two months ago I actually saw some fluorescent pink signs in Queen Creek; this is the first time I have seen them on a local road.

Also, on another subject relating to this thread, I actually decided to email the FHWA asking them about the retroreflectivity values for Fluorescent Pink asking whether if it uses the same values as Orange, or if it is exempt.  I just got confirmation that it is an exempt background color like Blue, Brown, and Purple.  I'm not sure if there has been any studies performed on the color for retroreflectivity, considering Fluorescent Pink sheeting seems to only be available as Type VI (the flexible vinyl-backed sheeting used for roll-up signs and retroreflective vests).

[kphoger]

Surprised you haven't posted anything on the topic of fluorescent pink signs before.

I've never seen one in person, so I'm guessing Oklahoma doesn't use them at all. Haven't seen any in MO or KS either.

The first one I ever saw was south of Sonora, Texas, where a bulk truck had rolled over on a curve and cleanup was in progress. However, the only other one I've seen was either in Kansas or Missouri; but I can't remember exactly where.