No matter how damaged and dirty your property looks right now, you can make it look fresh and clean again with a few simple changes. Use the list below and you can quickly transform your property into a tidy and good-looking area that you’ll be proud to show off to your customers, clients or residents.

• Replace faded traffic and parking signs. Fresh signs not only look good, but they’ll also be easier to see, increasing driver and pedestrian safety. High-Intensity reflective signs are extra visible, especially at night. Plus, they meet Federal MUTCD regulations.
• Keep new signs looking great for longer. It takes time and money to replace signs. Not only for the price of the signs, but in time and labor to install them too. When ordering new signs, get them with a clear protective layer like SetonUltraTuff™. This outside layer keeps signs from fading in the sun and lets you wipe off graffiti without scrubbing. Plus, SetonUltraTuff™ coated signs carry a lifetime guarantee.
• Repair or replace bent or rusty sign posts. If buying new posts, upgrade to the flexible style that pops back into place if it gets hit.  This saves you the hassle of repeatedly replacing posts that get run over.

• Get rid of broken concrete parking curbs and speed bumps. Replace them with plastic or rubber versions. They won’t chip or fade, which means you won’t have to keep repainting them all the time.
• Repaint parking lot stripes. Nothing makes a parking lot look fresh faster than a new coat of parking lot striping. Hire a professional to stripe the lot for you, or buy a striping machine and striping paint and re-stripe it yourself.
• Make sure your parking lot is safe. Use barricade tape or orange cones to block off unsafe areas from vehicles or foot traffic. Set up crosswalk signs that tell drivers to take caution and to show people where it’s safe to walk.
• Protect landscaping. Bushes, grass and trees are expensive. After you’ve replaced any dead or severely damaged ones, be sure to protect them with security posts or bollards. They’ll keep unruly drivers from running them over and the snow plow from damaging them next winter.
• Keep smoking areas tidy. Hang “No Smoking“or “Smoking Allowed” signs in outdoor break areas or at entrances. Install bins or receptacles for people to safely and cleanly discard their cigarette butts.

• Discourage trespassers and vandals. Post signs to let vandals and other miscreants that you’re watching. This cuts down on graffiti, littering, dumping and other property damage.
  

  Take the tour to learn about upgrading your property

Seton offers a wide variety of signs, posts and pavement products to keep your property, clean

and attractive.  Learn more about how and where to use these products by taking the virtual parking lot tour at seton.com.

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Taken from the Unofficial DMV Guide™, here are just a few of the more bizarre traffic, parking and driving rules from around the country.

Alabama

Apparently ‘Bama is an acronym for Blunt All Motorist Adventures, for officials there have inexplicably made it illegal to drive while blindfolded.

Alaska

Contrary to public opinion roof racks are not specifically designed for skis, snowboards and cocker spaniels. Or at least not in Alaska, where authorities have found it necessary to declare it illegal to tether a dog to the roof of a car.

Arkansas

Think twice while in Arkansas if you harbor an unflagging passion for cold cut sandwiches and honking your car horn. Arkansas authorities have deemed it illegal to blare a car horn where ice cold beverages or sandwiches are served after 9 p.m.

California

No matter how luxuriously comfortable that divided highway may look, it is illegal in Eureka, California, to use a road as a bed.

Connecticut

No need to get your Lexus Sport Luxury Sedan painted blaze orange. Hunting from cars in Connecticut is illegal, even during deer season.

Georgia

Going on an intuitive hunch that teeter-totters and cars don’t mix, officials in Dublin, Georgia, have made it illegal to drive through playgrounds.

Kentucky

Make sure your canine does not harbor a weird fetish for tailgate lights or trailer hitches while in Fort Thomas, Kentucky. You’ll be fined if your pet molests a vehicle.

Maine

Be careful about Jonesing for a Bavarian Cream while in South Berwick, Maine. You’ll be ticketed if you park in front of Dunkin Donuts.

Maryland

Keep in mind while traveling through Rockville, Maryland, that the streets there are rated G. If you possess a PG-17 vocabulary, take the bypass. Swearing from a vehicle in Rockville is considered a misdemeanor.

Missouri

If you are a horn-honking hooligan you better be carrying your vehicle’s bill of sale if you have the nerve to toot your horn while in University City, Missouri. Officials there have wisely made it illegal to honk the horn of someone else’s car.

Nevada

To prevent any literal interpretation of Reno’s No Standing signs, authorities there have made it illegal to place a bench or chair in the middle of the road.

New Jersey

Arbor Day requires careful planning in Blairstown, New Jersey, for local officials there have made it illegal to plant trees in the middle of the street.

North Carolina

In North Carolina, it is illegal to drive through a cemetery if you’re not there to dig a grave or bury someone. So if you intend to visit the grave of a loved one bring really powerful binoculars.

Ohio

In Canton, Ohio, people wearing roller skates cannot share the streets with cars. And yes, this applies even during the “couples only” skate.

Oregon

In Oregon you need to be not only alert for state troopers with speed guns, but also with stop watches. For you can be ticketed if you leave your car door open longer than is deemed necessary.

South Carolina

There’s a good reason why automakers don’t manufacture models named the Dodge Dumpster or the Lexus Litterbin. For in Hilton Head, South Carolina, it is illegal to store trash in your vehicle due to rat problems.

West Virginia

Virginia may be for lovers, but West Virginia is for meat lovers. Officials in the Mountain State have deemed it perfectly legal for anyone to scavenge road kill.

If you have traffic and parking rules you need to enforce in your area, consider signs from Seton to convey your message.  Seton offers a wide variety of traffic and parking signs for roadside, driveways and parking lots.

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Spring and summer are the driving seasons for teens. With proms, graduations and vacation outings teens are on the road more than any other time of the year.  National Youth Traffic Safety Month is observed each May in an effort to educate, engage and empower teens and their parents to practice safe driving and to encourage their friends to do the same.

Safe Driving Tips for Teens

• Limit passengers: Too many people in the car can be distracting for new drivers.
• Know your car: It’s important to know ahead of time where your controls are and how they work. This includes headlights, wipers and turn signals. Fumbling for unfamiliar controls can cause accidents.
• No calls, no texts: If you absolutely have to call or text, safely pull over to the side of the road first or ask your passenger to do it for you.

Safe Driving Tips for Parents

• Know when they’re ready: Don’t force teens to drive if they’re uncomfortable with the idea. On the other hand, don’t let teens coerce you to let them drive if you think they’re not mature enough to handle the responsibility.
• Teens need practice: It’s important teens practice under your supervision as much as possible for you to give feedback. Practice all driving scenarios including crosswalk safety, school bus safety, railroad crossing safety and how to yield.
• Lead by example: Follow the rules of the road and teens are likely to do the same.  Stop at all stop signs, observe speed limit signs and adhere to all parking sign regulations.

To learn more about National Youth Traffic Safety Month visit NOYS.

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According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA),  “Click It or Ticket (CIOT) is the most successful seat belt enforcement campaign ever, helping create the highest national seat belt usage rate of 83 percent. Coast to coast, day or night, the message is simple – Click It or Ticket.”

NHTSA states, “the cornerstone of NHTSA’s seat belt communications program is the national Click It or Ticket May Mobilization. The primary audience continues to be men ages 18 to 34, which research shows are less likely to wear seat belts.” Here are some other statistics regarding seat belts and drivers from NHTSA.

• Teens — In 2008, 70 percent of the passenger vehicle occupants 13 to 15 years old killed in traffic crashes were not buckled up — the highest percentage of all age groups.

• Young adults — Among passenger vehicle occupants 25 to 34 who were killed in crashes, 66 percent were not buckled up — the second highest percentage for any age group.

• Men — Men are less likely than women to buckle up. This is especially true of young men. In 2008, 66 percent of male drivers and 74 percent of male passengers 18 to 34 killed in passenger vehicles were NOT wearing their seat belts.

• Pickup drivers and passengers — Pickup truck drivers and passengers continue to have lower seat belt usage rates than occupants of other passenger vehicles. In 2008, 67 percent of pickup truck drivers and 70 percent of pickup truck passengers who were killed in traffic crashes were NOT buckled up.

According to NHTSA, “every year during [the] holiday period, law enforcement agencies join forces day and night, from coast-to-coast, for an enforcement blitz that delivers on our message Click It or Ticket. The mobilization is supported by national and local paid advertising and earned media campaigns aimed at raising awareness before the blitz that … Day or Night – Click It or Ticket.”

For more information about the CIOT Campaign go to NHTSA.

Seton also offers a variety of seat belt signs so you can promote your own seat belt safety message on your property.

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The 4^th annual KEEP KIDS ALIVE DRIVE 25® Day is scheduled for May 1st to launch National Youth Traffic Safety Month.

KEEP KIDS ALIVE DRIVE 25® is a citizen’s group that encourages all member of the community including neighbors, law enforcement officials, schools, businesses and civic organizations to help create safer streets for everyone – especially kids. 

You can visit KEEP KIDS ALIVE DRIVE 25® to learn more about how to get your community to reduce speeds and save lives by posting yard signs and decals.

Here are some Fast Facts about speeding from KKAD25 and NHTSA:

• Speeding in residential neighborhoods represents the single greatest complaint to police departments and city councils throughout the U.S.
• Most speeders on your street live in right in the neighborhood.

• It is not unusual for speeders to be clocked in excess of 40 mph (and even 50 mph on occasion) in 25 mph zones.

• If you hit a pedestrian driving at just 20 mph, 5% will die. At 30 mph the death rate increases to 45% and at 40 mph it climbs even higher to 85%.

Seton offers products to help you reduce traffic to safe speeds in your community including Speed Limit Signs and Speed Bumps.

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Happy Earth Day!

The first Earth Day was celebrated 40 years ago on April 22, 1970.  It was founded as a way to encourage people to value our natural resources and to keep our planet clean and healthy.

Besides Halloween and Christmas, Earth Day is the third most celebrated holiday, with 175 countries participating in observances around the world.

To celebrate Earth Day this year, remember to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as you can  – including those old traffic signs!

The School Crossing Sign Briefcase, the Speed Limit Sign Chair and other recycled traffic sign products can be found at uncommongoods.com.

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In an effort to improve overall public safety, the FHWA (Federal Highway Administration) requires that all stop signs posted on any publicly traveled road must meet MUTCD (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices) standards or the road owner may be subject to fines.

This regulation also applies to private roads such as those found in shopping centers, parking lots, airports, sports arenas, churches, parks, universities, condo complexes and other similar facilities that are privately owned but where the public is allowed to travel without access restrictions.

The MUTCD is the national guidebook that defines and regulates the size, color, shape, wording and placement of all traffic control devices in the United States. Non-compliance with the MUTCD can result in severe consequences. If property owners or property managers don’t comply with MUTCD regulations, they run the risk of liability and lawsuits should someone be injured or killed on their property.

MUTCD Compliant Stop Signs Should:

• Be retro-reflective so that the color and shape of the sign can be seen in any lighting condition – day or night
• Be 18” x 18” or larger
• Have a red background with white letters

MUTCD compliant stop signs reduce driver confusion by giving drivers the same uniform stop sign messages wherever they travel. This reduces potential mishaps and accidents, making your property safer. Having MUTCD compliant signs may also reduce your insurance costs.

Visit Seton for a variety of MUTCD compliant stop signs.

Non-Compliant

Compliant

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As a company  that specializes in making custom worded signs,  Seton is always on the look out for unique signs that make us laugh.

Here’s the latest one that just caught our eye.

To make your own signs – funny or not – visit Seton’s  Design Your Own (DYO) sign studio.

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Not many people know about the “Move Over” laws that are now enforced in 43 states nationwide. Up to 71% of Americans have never heard of these laws that are being strictly enforced and can cost hundreds of dollars in fines and other penalties.

Move Over laws call for drivers to change lanes or to slow down when passing emergency vehicles that are stopped on the roadside and have their lights flashing. This includes police cars, fire trucks, ambulances and tow trucks.

If drivers can’t “move over” by changing lanes, then they are required to slow down to at least 20 mph below the posted speed limit.

To date, 43 states have laws in place with stiff penalties of  up to $500, 90 days in jail, community service requirements and suspended licenses for up to three months.

States are beginning to post Move Over signs along with standard traffic signs in order to remind drivers to move over and drive safe.

Click here to see details of Move Over laws by state.

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We’ve all seen orange roadside signs a million times. Orange and black diamond-shaped signs warning us of lane closures and workers ahead – they’re everywhere. But what about those fluorescent pink traffic signs? Not so common and really bright – especially at night.

Fluorescent pink signs, or coral as they are sometimes known, were developed and MUTCD approved because they are so very different than any other signs on the road. The unique color captures and holds drivers’ attention, warning them of a road incident ahead. Informed and alert drivers are typically more cautious, keeping emergency responders safer and reducing the chance that the drivers might actually cause secondary accidents.

Orange signs are used for planned events like road construction and utility work. Fluorescent pink signs are made specifically for unplanned events like car accidents, hazardous spills or flooded roadways.

So, the next time you encounter an unplanned incident, use a pink fluorescent traffic sign to warn drivers what to expect. And the next time you see a pink traffic sign, take note and be prepared for almost anything from a stalled vehicle on the shoulder, to emergency personnel in the road, to fallen branches in the way.

Visit the MUTCD web site for more information on incident management.

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