Carmanah Propels RRFB Technology Into the Open Market

5 min. read
April 27, 2018

Following the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) termination of the rectangular rapid flashing beacon’s (RRFB) interim approval in December 2017, Carmanah stepped up to help solve the issue.

The news of both the termination and reinstatement of the RRFBs made national news due to the popularity of these safety systems. Extensive studies on RRFB technology, which uses a unique “wig-wag plus simultaneous” flash pattern, have shown that the RRFB can increase driver yield rates to 96%—making the product a highly effective safety tool desired by traffic engineers across the nation. Since the RRFB’s inception in 2008, manufacturers like Carmanah have been utilizing this technology and have developed a low-cost solution that continues to gain traction in the US. Carmanah, along with other industry leaders such as the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), Florida Department of Transportation (FDoT), and the FHWA, worked closely together to help this product regain interim approval and to help current projects get back on track in a timely manner.

In March 2018, Carmanah purchased and disclaimed all patents restricting RRFBs from gaining federal approval. The IMSA covers this story in the following article released in April 2018.
Download and read the article

Cover of IMSA journal, March/April edition featuring FHWA announcement on RRFBs.

 

Related Posts: