In fact, TAPCO’s line of legend-illuminated signs — LegendViz® — was ideated after receiving customer feedback, requesting traffic signs that motorists could see without headlights. 

Like we said before, everyone makes mistakes. And unfortunately, mistakes can lead to deadly consequences when they happen on our roads. But rather than trying to prevent human error, this principle accepts that mistakes will happen — and instead, prioritizes how our roads can accommodate these mistakes without endangering lives. 

TAPCO understands the variability of human error, which is why when we design our systems, our goal is not simply to mitigate unsafe behavior — it’s also to lessen the impact of unsafe behavior when it inevitably occurs. This approach enables communities to anticipate a variety of scenarios and reduce the impact of crashes across the board. This is demonstrated in innovations like our Wrong-Way Alert Systems, where drivers are encouraged to self-correct — and if they don’t, traffic officials can be notified of an active wrong-way driver. 

It’s no secret that our human bodies have limits when it comes to enduring crashes — and our roads should be designed accordingly. While it’s not possible to change our vulnerability, we can make changes to how our roadways are designed. 

This is something we keep top-of-mind at TAPCO, as our systems are designed to mitigate the impact of vulnerability. We’re continuously striving to advance our Pedestrian Crosswalk Systems by pairing them with warning alerts and other enhancements, all with the goal of protecting vulnerable road users. By embracing the reality of vulnerability and being mindful of human limits in future planning, we can move one step closer to achieving zero deaths and serious injuries. 

Everyone plays a part in the safety of our roads, from transportation agencies to citizens. And as a collective effort, making progress toward zero deaths is only possible with active participation from all stakeholders, including companies like TAPCO. 

We know that adopting a safety-first mindset is vital to shared responsibility, and we hope to lead by example: attending community events, promoting traffic safety and offering issue-specific guidance. This mindset can have a significant impact on elements like planning, as this often means making decisions that minimize risks and prioritize life-saving measures, even when other considerations like traffic flow are impacted. While this might go against some prior goals of design and planning, human wellbeing is non-negotiable and should be prioritized above all else. 

Being proactive can save lives — literally. Just because a crash hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it never will, especially in high-risk locations, and waiting for that crash to occur before putting safety measures in place can lead to devastating consequences. Data and risk analysis are key to this principle, as both allow agencies to identify problems and act even before a crash occurs. 

To be proactive, you need data. And data can be challenging to acquire, especially in rural locations or in cities and municipalities where there may be just one Traffic Engineer on staff. But even when resources are limited, data is still fundamental to plan and implement safety measures — or even obtain funding. Smart city platforms can provide this valuable data to traffic officials by collecting, storing and maintaining data all in one place. 

All roads are built differently, and design often influences how motorists drive on each road. Safer Roads focuses on targeting aspects of road design that pose the most danger to vulnerable road users, as they have the lowest tolerance for injury. Historically, roads have been designed to get vehicles from point A to B as quickly and easily as possible, which has made them more dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists. Under the guidance of Safer Roads, an approach like Complete Streets might be implemented, as it focuses on safe travel for all road users — especially vulnerable ones. 

Over the years, vehicle safety has come a long way, especially for occupants. Safety features like air bags and seat belts have saved hundreds of thousands of lives (NHTSA), and there are still plenty of improvements to be made — particularly when it comes to the crash impact on those outside the vehicle. With Safer Vehicles, it’s important to recognize the potential of advancements in vehicle technology. Developments like CVI, driver assistance and connected cities can be implemented to reduce injury to non-occupants and mitigate crashes in general.

In the U.S., roadways have been built for efficiency, which has too often been synonymous with higher speeds. Safer Speeds targets all aspects of our transportation system that contribute to unsafe speeds and shifts the focus to thoughtful design and infrastructure. This might be as straightforward as reevaluating speed limits in your community and lowering them as needed — or implementing traffic calming speed management strategies such as roundabouts and speed humps.