Experts’ Opinions of the Traffic Commander
Turn any busy highway into a Road To Safety with the Traffic Commander from SafeAll. This Variable Message Sign (VMS) mounts to any type of truck and effectively alerts motorists to accident scenes, lane closures, roadside
assistance calls and other emergency situations.
As we recognize National Safety Month this June, Zip’s AW Direct would like to spend a little time reviewing this game-changing 3-in-1 message board and sharing what others in the towing industry have learned with this additional safety measure for their operators.
We all know distracted driving is a danger roadside workers face every day. Texting, fatigue and bad habits all keep drivers’ eyes off the road and away from the task at hand. With its 18” LED block letters, the Traffic Commander
will get motorists to pay attention, move over and help save lives.
This VMS from SafeAll meets MUTCD (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices) requirements for roadside signage. Active messages can be tailored to each traffic condition, and for drivers traveling at highway
speeds, the amber four- and five-letter words are visible from 4,000 feet and legible from 1,000 feet.
Among the several unique features of the Traffic Commander are the 16 lights are placed around the perimeter of the sign to serve as a light bar, and two additional lights are located on the front side to warn oncoming motorists. As an arrow stick,
the sign can also be used to move traffic over with animated chevrons and arrows.
Industry First
The Traffic Commander is a first for the towing industry. Message boards have been around for years in road construction, but they have not been readily available for the towing market until now. Joe Mitchell from Mitchell’s Towing and Recovery in Virginia is glad he bought one.
Studies have shown that the use of a VMS greatly improves operator and crew safety at roadside scenes.
In January, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety released its findings on the effectiveness of a VMS on the side of the
road. Here’s what they discovered:
“Results showed statistically significant relationships between VMS use and behaviors of passing motorists,” the study reported. “When the VMS was active, drivers were more likely to move over (change lanes) and slow down
than in the cases when the VMS was not active.”
Jeremy Hoogerhyde from Otsego LakeService Inc. in northern Michigan has been in the towing industry since 1994 and has witnessed safety lighting on tow trucks evolve over the past three decades. While tow lights have advanced from a single
amber beacon to modern LED light bars, he said nothing compares to the Traffic Commander.
Before the Traffic Commander, Hoogerhyde estimated 20 percent of drivers would give him room to work, while the vast majority would yield
just enough clearance for his truck. That all changed two months ago when he mounted the Traffic Commander to his rollback. He expects to add more to his fleet and would recommend this purchase to any one working alongside traffic.
“Oncoming drivers definitely seem to be responding to what was displaying on the board,” Hoogerhyde said. “The board is very easy to use. I keep the tablet in its holder and just hit the buttons when arriving on scene.
I will
definitely be adding this option to my new trucks in the future.”
Also located in Michigan, Jerry’s Towing from the west central region of the state installed the Traffic Commander on one of their new car carriers. Operations manager Brent Baker said the VMS fits nicely with their operation’s focus
on safety.
“This message board from SafeAll really enhances our team's safety while working out on the roadways, especially in our urban market,” Baker said. “The sign complements our strong safety program
and protects our
team even more with its advanced warning and safety features.”
The SafeAll Traffic Commander is available for purchase through Zip’s AW Direct. Installation instructions are included, and the unit also features an operator tablet, an inside cab mount for the tablet and 20 feet of
power, ground and switch wiring. Learn more at Zips.com.
“For the added safety benefit of the Traffic Commander, it’s really hard to put a price on that,” Mitchell said.
