Specialty Systems
Warn drivers only when the hazard is real.
Low bridges, flooded roads, icy curves, fire-station driveways and work zones. Intelligent warning systems that detect the hazard and flash LED-enhanced signs when it's real, so drivers slow down, stop or take another route.
Sound familiar?
A single overheight collision with a low structure averages $200,000 to $300,000 in repairs, before the congestion, rerouting and insurance.
A sign that's always there stops being read. Clearance heights, 'road may flood' and 'watch for ice' signs are easy to miss when the hazard isn't there most days.
Coning off a flooded road or posting someone at a station driveway takes people you don't have when the storm or the call comes in.
How every system works
A sensor or a switch confirms the hazard is real: a load too tall for the bridge, water over the threshold, ice-forming conditions, or a fire truck leaving the station.
A BlinkerBeam® radio carries the activation to each sign, up to 900 feet away. No trenching or hardwiring, though existing conduit can be used.
BlinkerSign® signs or BlinkerBeacon™ beacons flash only while the hazard is there, so drivers take them seriously. MUTCD compliant, made in Brown Deer, Wisconsin, solar or AC.
Add remote monitoring to get text or email alerts on every activation and check each system from the office. Add the Connected Vehicle Interface to pass the warning to connected vehicles.
Overheight Warning
Avoid budget-destroying low-structure collisions. Infrared sensors on either side of the road detect a vehicle that won't clear the structure ahead, and LED-enhanced signs tell the driver to exit before the strike. For low bridges, tunnels, weigh stations, underpasses, parking structures and any low-clearance hazard. Directional sensors trigger only for oncoming traffic, and an optional camera captures every activation, so drivers who strike and leave can be found.
Every part of the system
Sensors measure the vehicle before the structure; signs ahead of the last exit tell the driver to turn off.
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Infrared beams across the road, set to the clearance of the structure. They detect slow or fast vehicles and tell direction, and can be up to 150 feet apart.
Data sheet → -
BlinkerSign® signs with your legend ('Overheight, exit right') or BlinkerBeacon™ beacons flash the moment the beam breaks.
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A BlinkerBeam® radio carries the activation to every sign, up to 900 feet, so nothing has to be trenched or hardwired.
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Solar packages, 120VAC or streetlight power, or a top-of-pole cabinet that installs with no trenching.
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Captures an image of every activation, for evidence and for tracking down drivers who strike and leave.
Full specifications →
High Water Warning
Give drivers real-time warning of a flooded road ahead, and a chance to take another route. Photoelectric, float or pressure sensors watch the water level; when it passes the threshold you set, LED-enhanced signs start flashing. Systems range from a single AC-powered pole to multi-pole systems with radios, illuminators and cameras, and they take the place of crews coning off the road in the middle of a storm.
Every part of the system
Sensors in the flood zone, signs on the approaches.
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Photoelectric, float or pressure sensing, chosen to fit the site. The water-level threshold is adjustable.
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BlinkerSign® signs ('Road may flood') or 8- or 12-inch BlinkerBeacon™ beacons, single- or double-sided.
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Solar packages, 120VAC or streetlight power, or a top-of-pole cabinet.
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Visual confirmation that the system activated and the road is under water.
Full specifications →
Emergency Vehicle Warning
Give crews safe, ready access to the street outside the station. When a fire truck or ambulance leaves, LED-enhanced signs flash to warn drivers that an emergency vehicle is entering the roadway. Ideal where broad curves or hidden driveways limit visibility. The system integrates with emergency vehicle preemption (EVP), runs on solar where there's no power, and can confirm activation with a light in the station.
Every part of the system
Activate from the station or the vehicle; the signs on the approaches do the rest.
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A wall-mounted button in the station activates the signs wirelessly as the vehicle departs.
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Triggered by the optical emitters most fire apparatus already carry, so the signs flash with no button pressed.
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Rides in the vehicle; can be combined with the push button and Strobeswitch™.
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BlinkerSign® signs or BlinkerBeacon™ beacons warn drivers of departing and returning emergency vehicles.
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Shows the crew the warning is on before they pull out.
Full specifications →
Weather & Surface Warning
Warn drivers before they reach ice, not after. The Icy Road Warning System's sensor reads road temperature and relative humidity, and the signs flash only when conditions are right for ice to form, which makes it ideal for sharp curves and elevated bridges where ice forms first. Where fog is the problem, Fog Warning BlinkerSign® signs guide drivers from three-quarters of a mile away.
Every part of the system
One sensor in the ice zone; signs on the approach.
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Mounted on a pole in the ice zone; calculates road temperature and relative humidity to decide when ice can form.
Data sheet → -
Flashes 'Watch for icy road' (or your legend) only while ice conditions are present. Single- or double-sided.
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A BlinkerBeam® radio carries the activation to every sign, up to 900 feet, so nothing has to be trenched or hardwired.
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Solar packages, 120VAC or streetlight power, or a top-of-pole cabinet.
Full specifications →
Work Zone
Keep crews and drivers safe while the road is being worked on. Portable traffic signals take the place of flaggers for lane closures, one-lane bridges and full intersections; automated flagger assistance devices keep the flagger out of the lane; LED-enhanced paddles and work-zone lighting help drivers see the zone. For speed and messaging in the zone, see our radar speed signs and message trailers.
Work zone products
Trailer-mounted portable signals for one-lane bridge repairs up to full intersection control. The SQ3TS has a 25-year design life, withstands 100-mph winds and runs 30 days on batteries alone.
Full specifications →Trailer- or cart-mounted devices that let one flagger control traffic from outside the lane.
Full specifications →Stop/Slow paddles with flashing LEDs, red on Stop and amber on Slow, seen earlier than paddles without LEDs in any light or weather.
Full specifications →Lights the signal trailer and the work area at night; a photocell turns it on at dusk and off at dawn. 8,000+ lumens, 75,000+ hour life.
Full specifications →Working every day
Resources
Frequently asked questions
Do these systems need power at the site?
No. Every system can run on solar, and where power is already available we can use 120VAC or streetlight power. Signs are linked by radio, so there's no trenching between them; existing conduit can be used if you have it.
Will the signs flash when there's no hazard?
No, that's the point. Overheight sensors tell direction, so only an oncoming overheight vehicle triggers the system; the icy road sensor flashes the signs only when ice conditions are present; high water signs activate at the threshold you set.
Can we be alerted when a system activates?
Yes. Add remote monitoring and each activation sends a text, email or voice alert to the people you choose, and you can check every system from the office.
What does a system cost?
It depends on the site, the sensor, the arrangement and the options. A simple single-pole AC high water system can be around $3,000; a system with radios, illuminators and cameras can reach about $30,000. Against a $200,000 to $300,000 overheight strike, one prevented collision pays for the system. Request a quote and we'll size it.
Does the emergency vehicle system work with signal preemption?
Yes. It integrates with emergency vehicle preemption (EVP) systems, and the Connected Vehicle Interface can pass the warning to connected vehicles nearby.
Tell us the location and what keeps happening there. We'll recommend the sensor, signs and power that fit, and customize the system if the site needs it.
Talk to an expert →A customized service agreement for optimal performance and peace of mind.
Explore sour ervice plans →Ready to make your streets safer?
A TAPCO engineer looks at your street, your budget and your timeline, and comes back with a plan.