30 Oct Safety in Retroreflectivity
By Paul J. Carlson, Contributing Author
Over 30 years ago, Congress required the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to produce a standard that agencies can use to determine when pavement markings need to be maintained.
On Aug. 5, 2022, the FHWA published a final rule on minimum pavement marking retroreflectivity, with an effective date just 30 days later. The final rule has been incorporated into the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), which is recognized as the national standard for traffic control devices on all streets, highways, bikeways and private roads open to public travel.
The final rule was officially incorporated into the Revision 3 of the 2009 MUTCD and is expected to be the same in the 11th Edition. Improving nighttime safety and driver visibility is one of the primary reasons for establishing a threshold to maintain retroreflective pavement markings.