Have you ever been to a large festival or sporting event where there is no permanent lighting to assist people exiting the area on foot or by car.  It can be very difficult to see and accidents tend to happen more frequently because of the unsafe lighting environment.  Flare Alert created the LED Baton for instances just like this.  Where darkness, automobiles, and people meet, this is where LED Baton’s are of greatest use.  Who uses LED Baton’s? you might ask.

1. Police Officers – Our wonderful men and women in uniform will be the most likely people that you will see carrying our LED Traffic Baton’s for obvious reasons.  Situations may include power outages, traffic signal outages, large music and sporting events.
2. Parking Attendants – People who are assisting in finding parking spots for events and an exit from that event often carry LED Traffic Baton’s.
3. Movie Theater Attendants – The multi use function of our traffic baton works well for theater attendants as it has both the flashlight functionality feature and the traffic baton feature.
4. Fire Fighters – Many Fire Fighters would use the Flare Alert Baton’s similarly to how the Police force will use them.  General traffic flow around an accident scene for example and in addition to our Flare Alert Beacons.
5. For Roadside Safety – In addition to the Flare Alert Beacons that are creating a buffer zone around you and your vehicle, the led traffic baton will add another layer of safety.  If you are outside of your vehicle and are not wearing any reflective gear, you are still not visible to the oncoming traffic.  An LED Beacon would improve your safety and level of comfort.

All Flare Alert materials are of the highest grade and quality.  Build for commercial use and the outdoor elements.  For more feedback on uses of the LED Baton and the rest of our products, check out our Testimonials Page.

At Flare Alert, one of the things we enjoy the most about our product is that while we focus emergency situations, the LED Beacon can be used in many more applications than just roadside assistance.  Here are a few of our favorite way’s clients have used them.

1. Emergency Helicopter Pad – While this isn’t the rarest use of Flare Alert’s LED Emergency Beacons, it is very appropriate in cases where a helicopter has to land on bare ground and in the dark.  Traditional strike flares will literally cause a fire in many dry climate areas.
2. LED Beacon on my Bike – We had a comment on Facebook not too long ago where a customer is actually placing these on his bike.  You’ve probably seen helmets or vests decorated with strobe lights to draw attention while night riding, but you may not have seen too many of these mounted on a bike.  The Flare Alert Beacon has a magnetic base that allows you to mount to many types of metal surfaces.  It may be a little too wide for some bicycle applications but people are making use of them.
3. LED Strobe Sports – If you have never played a game, soccer for example, with only the use of strobe lights to see, you haven’t lived!  Customers have lined indoor basketball courts with a number of Flare Alert LED Emergency Beacons and play is simply chaos.  While we do not recommend this type of use due to a potential for injury, it’s definitely an interesting use of the Beacon.
4. Locating People by LED Strobe – If you’ve been to a concert or sporting event with a large crowd this may come in handy. Turn the beacon on and attach the magnetic base to a nearby sign or metal structure and your party will be sure to find you.
5. Boat Identification at Night – Customers have used the LED Emergency Beacons to identify boats and/or docks at night by use of the different colored strobe light to identify certain objects.

These are a few ways to utilize LED Emergency Beacons beyond the traditional roadside safety situation.  Feel free to share how you use them!

If you’re like most people, you have had this roadside emergency experience and would prefer to avoid it
in the future. Unfortunately, even people who take great care of their automobiles find themselves in this position. What can you do about it? There can be many variables that impact your feeling of
safety on the side of a road but we will focus on the two biggest factors: high speed vehicles passing close by your car, and the absence of light.

Creating a Buffer Zone

Whether your roadside emergency places you on a narrow shoulder in a mountain canyon or a cars length away from the nearest lane on a super highway, it\’s not very comfortable to have cars flying past you. Even cars with their emergency lights on may not receive the proper attention of passers by because for many, seeing a car with emergency lights on is a common occurrence and that driver may not expect anyone to be in the car and so less concerned for passing distance away from the car. Right now I must tell you that to get a use out of the Flare Alert product you do not have to leave your vehicle to utilize the product. A perfect example is a testimonial we received from a driver in New Jersey who found himself in an uncomfortable situation and very close to fast moving traffic. Instead of getting out of the vehicle, he rolled down his window and attached the Flare Alert Beacon in strobe mode to his roof and he received more attention from passers by and a policeman spotted him from far off and came to save the day. However, if you prefer to solve your own vehicles problem, whether that be changing a tire, checking your engine, or inspecting your car and will be outside of the vehicle, Flare Alert will provide a greater buffer that passers by will not be able to ignore.

Providing More Light

Darkness is another factor that creates an uncomfortable experience for the stranded driver. Many times, a driver does not have the luxury of choosing precisely where the vehicle will break down and so chances that you will be stranded at night without good and proper light are high. The only way create a safe buffer zone with light is to provide your own source of light. Enter Flare Alert. Unfortunately Flare Alert will not solve all your problems, but having a little more control in an uncontrolled situation is the only way to prepare for the unexpected.

Plan Ahead

The moral of the story is to plan ahead and anticipate that you may need to create a buffer zone and control the situation with additional light at some point in all your travels. At Flare Alert, we are proud to have been providing drivers with additional safety tools since 2004. You may see our tools in use by police departments and fire departments. We also have a team of dedicated individuals located around the country that drop off Flare Alert in potentially dangerous roadside situations with the only instruction being \”pass these beacons along to another driver in the next roadside emergency you see\”. We love to hear any stories you may have and so please post them on our facebook page or email them to us.

Sincerely,

Flare Alert

As the core of our business at Flare Alert is to equip vehicle users to handle emergency and possibly life threatening situations, we wanted to make a blog post on suggesting how to utilize your beacons effectively. For this post, we are assuming the driver has adequate room on the shoulder of the road to exit the vehicle safely. If such adequate room does not exist or you are simply uncomfortable, you may be better served by magnetically attaching the Emergency Flare Beacons to the side or top of your car from your window and activating the strobe light.

For standard situations, here is a recommended step by step procedure to follow.

1. When the problem occurs and you must park on the highway, apply your emergency lights immediately and look for an opportunity to pull over where the shoulder allows. We are unaware of a minimum length to be away from the road and so this is at the drivers discretion.
2. The driver wants to select a shoulder where the vehicle can be viewed for approximately 200\’ in either direction. Conditions may not allow.
3. Make sure the ignition is locked, the key removed and the vehicle properly braked.
4. Reach for your Flare Alert Emergency LED Beacons, ideally stowed in their carry bag under your seat. (always carry extra batteries)
5. Prior to exiting your vehicle turn on all the Emergency Beacons and put them on the strobe position.
6. As you exit and walk to the rear of your vehicle, make sure the LED Flares are pointing towards the nearest traffic sourceand your body is not blocking them from view.
7. For placing the strobe beacons, lay the first beacon creating a buffer zone between your car and the nearest traffic lane suggested minimum of six feet. Subsequent beacons should be placed at approximately 10’ increments at a slight diagonal to suggest a lane change for oncoming traffic.
8. Once you have completed the process of laying out the beacons you are now free to address the safety concern whether that is to check your engine of change a tire.

While the Red and Orange Beacons are the most popular colors for Emergency LED Flares due to the association with emergencies, an additional White LED Emergency Beacon is always helpful. The White Beacon provides an improved color rendering so that if you attach the magnet underneath the to check fluids, or under the wheel well for a tire change, you will have the best viewing possible.

After you have addressed the vehicle issue and are picking up the Emergency LED Flares, remember not to turn off the beacons until safely back in your car so as to provide as much visibility as possible.

Make sure to wipe off any moisture and check for signs of battery depreciation before placing them back in the carrying bag for next time.

Ultimately, there are many ways to utilize the emergency beacons and it is the responsibility of the user to make the best judgement for his/her particular circumstances. So be safe and enjoy more piece of mind knowing that you are prepared for an emergency stop by purchasing your own Flare Alert Beacons.

Sincerely,
Flare Alert

Emergency supplies in those times are more valuable than gold. How long will you wait until you plan ahead for the unexpected?

Congratulations to the Louisiana State Police for receiving the Highway Safety Award. This Police Force was responsible for significantly decreasing fatal crashes from 2008 to 2009. The only way Highway Safety is improved is by strategic planning, sound management, and the utilization of personel and tools. The article below was published by the Baton Rouge Today.

Louisiana State Police Receives Highway Safety Award

Posted on 03 May 2011.

The Louisiana State Police was notified this week that the state of Louisiana will be recognized by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) for reporting the greatest reduction in highway death rates. This is the first time that Louisiana will receive this award.

Louisiana is one of three co-winners of the 2011 AAMVA Region II Highway Safety Award for reporting the greatest reduction in highway death rate per 100 million miles driven. This figure was determined from the most recent reporting period, as reported within the NHTSA FARS database. This is the first time that three Region II jurisdictions have tied for this award. The other co-winners are the states of Florida and Georgia. AAMVA Region II includes the states/territories of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

According to the most recent NHTSA FARS data, Louisiana experienced a 12% decrease in fatal crashes from 2008 to 2009. When comparing 2009 data to 2007, Louisiana experienced a 19% decrease in fatal crashes. The projected number of fatal crashes for 2010 is 687 which is a 24% decrease in fatal crashes compared to 2007.

“Highway safety continues to be a priority for the Louisiana State Police. I believe these numbers reflect the success of agency partnerships, proactive enforcement efforts and safety educational programs,” said Colonel Mike Edmonson, State Police Superintendent. “It is also indicative that the public is getting the message. Working together we can change the culture of acceptance in Louisiana.”

It is very rewarding to hear from existing clients who use our products and improve their feeling of safety and gain a little more control of their uncontrollable situations. Just as rewarding is hearing from different safety organizations recommending our work. The following article was produced by the Protection Insider

If your car breaks down in the roadway, will you be able to warn other drivers? Will police or emergency medical response teams be able to find you? During a natural disaster, will you be able to beacon in rescue forces?

Emergency lighting provides more than just the ability to see; you also want to be seen.

The FlareAlert LED Beacons, a product from the Keystone Group, are the perfect device for emergency lighting and signaling by means of a rugged, effective and inexpensive quality product. They come in two models, the Beacon and the Beacon Pro.

The FlareAlert Beacon is available in either red or yellow, and with four “AA” alkaline batteries, the 0.5 watt LED will signal for 70+ hours on flash or 20+ hours when selected for sustained illumination.

As an alternative, the FlareAlert Beacon Pro is available in red, yellow, green, white, and blue, providing 1.0 watt of LED illumination, signaling 30+ hours with four “AA” alkaline batteries or ten hours when left on steady; visibility is up to three miles away.

Additionally, these lights are rugged, boasting crush resistance up to 20,000 pounds and each comes with a magnetic base so you can affix the light to a vehicle or other metal object. The FlareAlert Beacons are weather resistant, reusable, lightweight and visible from the air or direct line of sight. Furthermore, they are safe around flammable liquids, unlike traditional strike and burn flares.

The following article was created by the US Federal Highway Administration to organize statistics about the hazards of nighttime driving and the lenths the FHWA goes to improve safety for US citizens.

Nighttime Visibility

About half of traffic fatalities occur at night, although only about one quarter of travel occurs after dark. Although intoxication and fatigue contribute to the high rate of nighttime crashes, nighttime driving is inherently hazardous because of decreased driver visibility.

Adequately maintained retroreflective signs and pavement markings improve highway safety and prevent roadway departure crashes by bouncing light from vehicle headlights back toward the vehicle and the driver’s eyes, making the signs and markings appear brighter and easier to see and read.

Because the retroreflective properties of traffic control devices deteriorate over time, highway agencies need to actively manage the maintenance of signs and pavement markings in order to ensure that they are clearly visible at night.

Pavement Marking Retroreflectivity Notice of Proposed Rulemaking [HTML, PDF]
On April 22, 2010, a standard for maintaining minimum retroreflectivity of longitudinal pavement markings was published as a notice of proposed rulemaking in the federal register.

MUTCD Text of the Proposed Pavement Marking Retroreflectivity Standard
Wording of the proposed Revision 1 to the 2009 MUTCD.

Summary of the MUTCD Pavement Marking Retroreflectivity Standard
This 4-page brief summarizes the technical details of the 2010 Notice of Proposed Rulemakings. (FHWA-SA-10-015)

Revised Assessment of Economic Impacts of Pavement Marking Retroreflectivity
Final Report: Revised Assessment of Economic Impacts of Implementing Minimum Levels of Pavement Marking Retroreflectivity, FHWA-SA-10-16. This updated report estimates increased costs of 3.2 percent of the current costs to implement the improved retroreflectivity of longitudinal markings in the proposed rulemaking.

Sign Retroreflectivty Toolkit
The Toolkit is designed for use by small and medium sized local agencies. It provides an automated approach to understanding the new sign maintenance requirements and will assist in implementing the minimum sign retroreflectivity requirements.

Nighttime Visibility Policy / Guidance
Under a new Federal rule that went into effect in January 2008, agencies have until January 2012 to establish and implement a sign assessment or management method that will maintain minimum levels of sign retroreflectivity. The compliance date for meeting the minimum retroreflectivity requirements for regulatory, warning, and ground-mounted guide signs is January 2015. Overhead guide signs and street name signs must be in compliance by January 2018.

Here’s where to find the Final Rule, along with many publications and presentations that provide explanations and guidance on implementation. The 2005 FHWA Guidance Memorandum on sign sheeting products also is posted on this page.

Sign Visibility
This page contains technical guidance and research reports related to sign visibility.

Pavement Markings Visibility
Click here for technical guidance and research reports related to pavement markings visibility.