What is BS 8442 - Miscellaneous road traffic signs about?
Road safety depends to a significant extent on clear and consistent road traffic signs. BS 8442 sets the standards for the safety and design of temporary road signs.
Who is BS 8442 - Miscellaneous road traffic signs for?
BS 8442 on miscellaneous road traffic signs can be adopted by:
- Public sector highway authorities
- Owners of private infrastructure
- Local authority and consultant asset managers
- Consulting and materials engineers
- Test houses and test equipment manufacturers
- Specialist highway contractors
- Members of the Association Of Directors Of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT)
- Members of the Association Of Consultancy and Engineering (ACE)
- Road sign manufacturers
What does BS 8442 - Miscellaneous road traffic signs cover?
BS 8442 on miscellaneous road traffic signs specifies requirements and tests for rigid and flexible portable signs, barriers, self-supporting portable signs, “Stop/Go” and “Stop/Works” signs, school crossing patrol signs, flat traffic delineators, flap signs, pedestrian crossing and refuge beacons, internally illuminated posts, twin amber flashing light units, non-retroreflecting road studs and retroreflective self-righting bollards.
NOTE: The tests given in BS 8442 are suitable for both initial type testing and production testing. Non-retroreflecting road studs incorporating an active light source are not covered by this standard.
Why should you use BS 8442 - Miscellaneous road traffic signs?
This “catch-all” revised standard on miscellaneous road traffic signs:
- Enables the manufacture of compliant road traffic signs not included in other European or British Standards
- Produces signs that are easily understood by road users and thereby contribute to road safety
- Simplifies the efficient production of standardized signs
- Widens the choice of retroreflective materials from which compliant retroreflective signs can be constructed
- Makes additional improvements that increase the safety of road traffic signs for road users
- Aligns with the government’s highway furniture decluttering initiative
- Helps manufacturers enter new markets and develop their expertise
- Increases confidence in road signs and strengthens risk management
- Can be used as a foundation for accelerated innovation in road sign manufacture
BS 8442 contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goal 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure.
What’s new about BS 8442 - Miscellaneous road traffic signs?
This is a revision of BS 8442:2015. The major change in BS 8442 is the addition of colour requirements for yellow prismatic retroreflective sheeting. Other standards and legislation that BS 8442 refers to have also been updated and in some cases, classes have changed, so the additional consequential revisions in BS 8442 include:
- References to lower performance for digital printing has been removed now the technology is fully up to the standard of other methods
- The Belisha Beacon Halo and other conspicuity aids are specified to avoid confusion to road users
- Optical performance of school crossings and beacons are updated
- The references to IP ratings of bollards are updated