In today’s fast-paced world of traffic management and worksite security, warning devices like barricade lights play a huge role. By installing these high-visibility lights construction companies and traffic professionals can effectively guide public and drivers about any restricted areas and reduce the chance of any accidental situations.
However it is important for companies managing constructions and traffic to invest in reliable barricade lighting solutions. Doing so helps stay compliant with safety regulations while improving overall traffic management and maintaining smooth workflow.
As a leading traffic safety products’ manufacturer, we help construction workers, safety officers, and traffic management professionals to implement the most effective security measures. In this guide we aim to provide you knowledge about Barricade light, enabling you to have a deeper understanding and its importance.
Everything you need to know about Barricade Lights
What is Barricade Light?
A Barricade light is a portable warning light device that is mounted on road barriers, traffic cones and drums. Its purpose is to create security awareness and enhance visibility especially on low-light or hazardous locations. These visible lights warn drivers, pedestrians, and workers on the road about restricted and dangerous areas.
Barricade lights must meet MUTCD (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices) standard that simply ensures lights are effective for traffic use. Barricade lights are widely used in public places like construction sites, airports, seaports, traffic barrier facilities, and even at events.
How Barricade Light Works?
The Barricade light operates using a power source, LED technology, and a light sensor to ensure visibility in a traffic control situations. Here is a detail breakdown of how it operates:
- Power Source: Barricade light is powered by batteries or solar panels. Battery-powered Barricade lights use either chargeable or replaceable batteries. While solar-powered lights use the sunlight to recharge and store energy for nighttime operations.
- Photocell Light Sensor: Barricade lights come with a built-in Photocell. It acts as a remote switch to turn on and off Barricade light. In daytime when it detects sunlight, it turns off barricade light or go to low power mode. In nighttime, it activates the light either in flash or steady mode, depending on the barricade light type.
To withstand different weather conditions like rain, wind and extreme temperature, Barricade lights are build with a waterproof casing meeting MUTCD standard. This way the Barricade lights stay durable and protected without interrupting its performance and ensuring visibility.
Types of Barricade Lights
Based on the MUTCD standard, barricade lights are categorized into three types according to their working modes. Below is the explanation of each type one-by-one for you to deeply understand about Barricade light:
1. Type A Barricade Lights
These are Low-Intensity Barricade lights, operates in either flashing or steady-burn mode, and are durable for nighttime use to alert drivers of any restricted zone. Type A lights are not visible during the daytime, can only be seen at nighttime due to its low-intensity LED’s.
Power Source:
Battery Operated (Batteries needs to exchange after every 15 days)
Solar-Panel Operated (No maintenance needed, ready to use right out of box)
Operation Color: Yellow/ Amber & Red barricade light
They are commonly used in:
- Pedestrian Barricades
- Parking lot closure
- Short-term road maintenance
- Low-speed urban work zones
MUTCD Compliance:
- Must be visible to drivers and public from 3000 feet in nighttime.
- If flashing then it must maintain the rate 60 times/ per minutes.
2. Type B Barricade Lights
These are high-Intensity Barricade light, operates in flash-only mode, comes with a single sided lens, and are durable to use for 24/7 traffic security control. Type B lights are usually much brighter compared to other barricade led lights due to high-intensity so they can be easily seen during daytime to help alert drivers, pedestrians and public of any restricted zone.
Power Source:
Solar-Panel: Ready to use right out of box, no maintenance need, it recharges itself and operate, the charging last even for several days.
Operation Color: Red & Amber/ Yellow
They are commonly used in:
- Construction Zones
- Road Hazards
- Nighttime Work Zones
- Freeway Lane Closures
- Can be used at every location that needs a 24/7 warning.
MUTCD Compliance:
- Must be visible from 3000 feet to drivers and public day and nighttime.
- It must maintain the rate of 50–60 flashes per minute.
- Must be weather-resistant, especially waterproof, and constructed for long-term outdoor use.
3. Type C Barricade Lights
These High-intensity lights operate in Steady-Burn (consistent light) mode. Type C lights stay lit up constantly with no flashing, making it ideal for using them at night to help alert drivers of any dangerous location because they have a steady/ constant light on vehicles. They are often mounted on large Barricades to increase visibility for drivers and the public.
Power Source:
Battery Operated: Uses alkaline or lithium batteries, which must be changed every 15 days.
Solar Panel Operated: No maintenance is needed; they recharge themselves and operate for longer.
Operation Color: Red indicates danger due to road closure, dangerous drop-offs, or wrong-way traffic.
They are commonly used in:
- Bridge and overpass construction
- Tunnel work zone
- Road closure due to hazardous drop-offs
- Permanent restriction in construction zone
MUTCD Compliance:
- Must be visible from 3,000 feet for increased visibility.
- It must maintain continuous light visibility. (no power off, no flash)
- Must be built with waterproof construction and mounted on big Barricades.
Common Uses of Barricade Lights
- Road Construction & Work Zone Sites
One most common use of Barricade lights is that they are mounted on Barricades or cones at construction sites and placed on center of road, to guide traffic, public, drivers, pedestrians, and guide vehicles to bypass such hazardous zones. This helps protect public and workers on construction sites and reduce accident chances. Mostly Type B and Type C high intensity Barricade lights are used in such scenarios.
- Highways & Freeways
Barricade lights are widely used in highways and freeways to alert drivers of an undergoing construction zone, road closure, guide traffic to bypass the road or to change traffic patterns. Type B barricade light is mostly used in such zones to help make a safe road for everyone while maintaining the working environment.
- Special Events & Traffic Control
Barricade lights are also commonly used on special events like festivals, street affairs, to alert public and drivers, guiding them to redirect traffic using the barricade red flashing light.
- Road Closure & Hazard Warning
Another common use of Barricade light is to facilitate temporary road closure or hazard warning of drop-offs. If a road is either permanently or temporarily blocked, traffic control personnel can install Barricade lights to indicate public and drivers of a closure and redirect traffic.
5 Safety Benefits of Barricade Lights
- High Visibility in Low-Light Conditions
Barricade lights bright Red or Amber light either in Flashing or Steady-Burn mode, making these light more visible in daytime and nighttime to alert public, drivers, and workers from 3,000 feet distance.
- Reduce Driver Confusion
Barricade lights emit light from 3000 feet away, that alert drivers from far distance of a potential risk, road closure or a hazardous situation, guiding drivers to change path, preventing road accidents.
- Protects Workers & Pedestrians
Installing Barricade lights on drums, cones, and Barricade creates a visible zone that alerts drivers and workers to slow down the work near construction zones, protecting them from danger and creating a safer zone.
- UV and Weather Resistance
The Barricade lights are built with a UV and water resistance casing so they can keep operating under all outdoor conditions whether it’s rain or wind, thereby increasing lifespans and saving cost for new Barricade lights purchases. Plus, solar powered barricade lights do not require maintenance, saving you budget.
- Marking Highways and Freeways
It is necessary to install Barricade lights especially in US to increase high visibility on highways and freeways near any hazardous or working site, to guide drivers at low visibility time and nighttime.
How to Choose the Right Barricade Light?
Choosing the right Barricade light depends on several factors like:
- Access scene or environment situation
At first place, you may need to access the environment, check where you need to install Barricade light. If it’s in urban streets, highways, roads or hazard zone, then choose the suitable Barricade light type. Type A Barricade light is widely used in urban street, type B in highways and Type C in hazard zones.
- Consider expected vehicle and foot traffic
Aside from scene assessment you must have the record of expected vehicle or food traffic that regularly passes through that zone. If high vehicle traffic passes through that zone, you may need to install a high-intensity Barricade light (Type B) for more visibility. If low or medium traffic passes through that zone, Type A and Type C Barricade lights can be installed at those zones.
Important: Since Barricade lights are typically powered by batteries or solar panels, your choice of suitable Barricade light installation may depend on the weather conditions at the location.
Conclusion:
Barricade lights are crucial equipment for traffic safety measures, preventing road accidents, protecting drivers, public, pedestrians and workers from potential hazards. That’s why this guide provides you with a detail breakdown of Barricade light, to help you understand and choose a suitable Barricade light depending on the situation. Compliance of Barricade lights with MUTCD standard is most important to ensure traffic control standards and avoid any chance of legal issues or troubles.
