School Zone Flashing Beacons 

Promote a safe environment that encourages students to walk and bike to school.

School Zone Flashing Beacons 

Promote a safe environment that encourages students to walk and bike to school.

Flashing school zone signs are active traffic control devices that can help condition motorists to change their behavior when the devices are activated. Passive devices—like straightforward school zone signs—identify a crossing but require the driver to determine whether or not they need to adjust their speed, based on the current time of day.

With the addition of a beacon flashing during the hours the speed limit is in effect, drivers are told when they need to adjust their speed—no guesswork required.

 

According to a study from the Washington Department of Transportation, locations with flashing school zone signs had average driver speeds 5–7 mph slower than locations with “when children are present” and “when flagged” signs.

 

Problem Solution
Drivers don’t know when school zone speeds are in effect. School zone  beacons can be programmed to flash only when school zone speeds are in effect.
Low-intensity beacons are hard to see, especially during the day. Our school zone flashing beacons are directional, high-intensity lights that are visible at all hours (Class 1 in the Society of Automotive Engineers [SAE] Standard J595).
Schools have variable schedules that can include unplanned closures. All school zone flashing beacons come with a programmable calendar function, making it easy to adjust schedules locally or remotely (see the section on connectivity below). 

Curious about connectivity?

We partnered with leading intelligent transportation systems (ITS) solutions provider Applied Information to develop StreetHub™, a portfolio of beacons and signs that leverages cellular technology to allow authorized personnel to remotely monitor and control their complete network from a single easy-to-use web-based platform. With StreetHub, you can set and adjust the schedules of your school zone beacons from anywhere, plus collect data, manage alerts, monitor battery health, and more—all without having to make a manual site visit.

Learn more about StreetHub™

See school zone flashing lights in action

We have completed installations across North America, including these highlights:

Watch the first video in our series on school zone safety treatments.

Comprehensive school zone safety treatments

Flashing school zone beacons are the key safety tool for schools to slow down traffic. Additional products may be added that will also encourage drivers to take notice of signs and adjust their behavior.

School zones can contain:

 

Flashing beacons 
within school zone areas

Radar speed signs to help drivers self-correct before a school zone

LED flashing or lighted signs to illuminate signage

Check your local requirements to determine compliant school zone safety options in your region.

 

VIDEO: Watch our school zone safety series

Making sure that drivers see, acknowledge, and obey school zone signs is vital to protecting young people making their way to and from school, no matter what mode of transportation they are using.

Our school zone safety series explores several solutions to help vehicle drivers reduce speed, pay attention to signs, and become more compliant in school zones.

Check out part 1 of our series on school zone flashing beacons:

Watch our school zone safety series

Related Initiatives: Vision Zero and Safe Routes to School

School zone flashing beacon systems are recommended for use under Safe Routes to School programs and can help improve community walkability initiatives. These programs can also be part of Vision Zero initiatives, which aim to eliminate all serious traffic injuries and deaths. School-based safety projects could include sidewalk improvements, raised crosswalks, pedestrian lighting, and uniform warning signage, among other improvements.

Our school zone solutions can all be considered for use under Safe Routes to School programs and similar initiatives, including this SRTS project in Los Angeles County. Funding may be available in your area. Here are a few prominent programs across North America:

  • Florida Department of Transportation: FDOT’s program is one of the most developed in the country. Their Guardians of Roadway Safety offers a fun way to teach kids about traffic safety through comics and videos.
  • Safe Routes to School Michigan: This program, managed by the Michigan Department of Transportation, has awarded over $31 million in infrastructure funding since 2003. Explore their infographic for more details.
  • Ontario Active School Travel: This comprehensive website for Ontario, Canada, includes an Active School Travel Fund, new in 2018. Winter Walk Day, a Canada-wide initiative, is held on the first Wednesday in February.

Additional Resources for School Zone Flashing Beacons

Article

Can Children Walk Around Your Town?
Here are some ways to analyze walkability for children and address the issues you find with effective traffic safety products like beacons and signs.


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Case Study

Safe Routes to School Program – Los Angeles

See how Carmanah’s school zone flashing beacons are helping encourage driver compliance when children are present.


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Checklist

Which School Zone Flashing Beacons is Right for You?
Specifying a school zone beacon for your location helps ensure you have a reliable, effective system that works for the long term in all conditions.

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Video

School Zone Safety, Part 1: Flashing Beacons and LED-Enhanced Signs
This video focuses on solutions that help drivers quickly identify when they’ve entered a school zone and when school zone speed limits are in effect.

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