Traffic cones, also calledpylons,witches' hats,[1][2]road cones,highway cones,safety cones,caution cones,channelizing devices,[3]construction cones,roadworks cones, or justcones, are usuallycone-shaped markers that are placed on roads or footpaths to temporarily redirecttraffic in a safe manner. They are often used to create separation ormerge lanes duringroad construction projects orautomobile accidents, although heavier, more permanent markers or signs are used if the diversion is to stay in place for a long period of time.
Traffic cones were invented by Charles D. Scanlon, an American who, while working as a painter for the Street Painting Department of the City of Los Angeles, was unimpressed with the traditional wooden tripods and barriers used to mark roads which were damaged or undergoing repainting. Scanlon regarded these wooden structures as easily broken, hard to see, and a hazard to passing traffic.[4] Scanlon's rubber cone was designed to return to an upright position when struck by a glancing blow. The patent for his invention was granted in 1943.[5][6]
Traffic cones were first used in the United Kingdom in 1958, when theM6 motorway opened. These traffic cones were a substitute for red lanternparaffin burners being used during construction on the Preston Bypass.[7] David Morgan ofBurford,Oxfordshire, UK believes that he constructed the first experimental plastic traffic cones in 1961 while working atImperial Chemical Industries, which replaced pyramid-shaped wooden cones previously used.[8]
In the United States on May 1, 1959, thePacific Gas and Electric Company inOakland, California adopted the policy of placing orange safety cones at the left front and left rear corners of their service trucks while parked on the street to increase visibility and safety for the workers. This policy was implemented as the result of a suggestion by their employee, Russell Storch, a cable splicer. He was awarded $45 for his suggestion. This policy is still in use today.[9]
Modern traffic cones are usually made of brightly coloredthermoplastic.PVC from bottles can berecycled to make traffic cones.[10]
Traffic cones are typically used outdoors duringroad work or other situations requiring traffic redirection or advance warning of hazards or dangers, or the prevention of traffic. For night time use or low-light situations traffic cones are usually fitted with a retroreflective sleeve to increase visibility. On occasion, traffic cones may also be fitted with flashing lights for the same reason.
In the US, cones are required by the US Federal Highway Administration'sManual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) to be fitted with reflective white bands to increase night-time visibility. Reflective collars, white strips made from white reflective plastic, slip over cones snugly, and tape or adhesive can be used to permanently attach the collars to the cones.
Traffic cones are designed to be highly visible and easily movable. Various sizes are used, commonly ranging from around 30 cm (11.8 in) to a little over 1 m (39.4 in). Typical traffic cones are fluorescent"safety" orange, but other bright colors including yellow, pink, red, and lime green are also used, with the color depending on context in some countries. The cones usually have a retroreflective strip (commonly known as "flash tape") to increase their visibility at night.
In the United States, they come in such sizes as:
In New Zealand, they are compliant in two sizes for use on all roads; these are:
Cones are easy to move or remove. Where sturdier (and larger) markers are needed, construction sites usetraffic barrels (plastic orange barrels with reflective stripes, normally about the same size as a200-liter (55 gallon) drum. When a lane closure must also be a physical barrier against cars accidentally crossing it, aFitch barrier, in which the barrels are filled with sand, or aJersey barrier is used.
In many countries such asAustralia and in some American states such asCalifornia, traffic barrels are rarely seen; pillar-shaped moveablebollards are instead used where larger and sturdier warning or delineation devices are needed. Typically, bollards are 1,150 mm (45 in) high fluorescent orange posts with reflective sleeve and heavyweight rubber bases. Larger devices such asbarrier boards may be used instead of cones where larger areas need to be excluded or for longer periods.
Cones are used to lay out courses for autocross competitions.
Cones are also frequently used in indoor public spaces to mark off areas which are closed to pedestrians, such as arestroom being out of order, or to denote a dangerous condition, such as a slippery floor. They can be used on school playgrounds to limit areas of a playing field, and on ice rinks to define class, private party, or private lesson areas. Some of the cones used for this purpose are miniature, as small as 5 cm (2.0 in) tall, and some are disposable full-size cones made of biodegradable paper.
Being distinctive, easily portable and usually left unguarded, traffic cones are oftenstolen. Students are frequently blamed, to the extent that the BritishNational Union of Students has attempted to play down this "outdated stereotype".[11]
In 2007, artistDennis Oppenheim commemorated the traffic cone with a monumental sculpture of five 20' (six metre) tall cones. They were installed temporarily inMiami,[12] Seattle'sOlympic Sculpture Park,[13] andSeoul,Korea.
An orange-and-white cone is thelogo used byVideoLAN (best known for itsVLC media player software).
German groupKraftwerk featured traffic cones on theirfirst two albums, as well as in their concerts at the time.
Traditionally, but unofficially, theWellington Statue in Glasgow is decorated with a traffic cone. The presence of the cone is given as the reason the statue is in theLonely Planet 1000 Ultimate Sights guide (at number 229) as a "most bizarre monument".[14]
The Traffic Cones is a Belgian TV series onNickelodeon created byPascal Adant.[15]
PVC recovered from bottles may be used in traffic cones
