Traffic cones are known by names such as pylons, safety cones, construction pylons, and even “witches’ hats”, because of their shape. The word “cone” is also indicative of the design, because the pylon looks like an ice cream cone turned upside down. As suppliers of traffic cones will explain, the pylon design is like that to ensure easy stacking, transportation, and deployment, as well as high visibility.
Traffic Cones – Various Applications
The traffic cones, as available from road-safety product suppliers like Armco Superlite, also function as markers that are placed on roads for the temporary redirection of traffic. Traffic cones are furthermore used to separate or merge road lanes at roadwork sites. Vehicle traffic departments and emergency service operators often purchase such equipment from road-safety product suppliers for the purpose of marking accident scenes and to redirect vehicles around the scenes. These devices are not suitable for permanent diversion of traffic. If permanent devices are required, consult with your road-safety product supplier about more appropriate products for permanent redirection or marking.
The pylons are often fitted with reflective strips to increase visibility of the traffic cones during low light and bad weather. For optimal visibility, bright orange, red, or yellow pylons are used for road-safety applications. These pylons are therefore already highly visible, regardless of the weather or the ambient light. Pylons are often used at roadblocks and also for the purpose of traffic channelling into specific lanes. In these instances, the pylons also serve to warn motorists of slow-moving or stationary vehicles ahead. From this information, it quickly becomes clear that such pylons, as available from road-safety product suppliers, have many uses.
Choose According to Application Needs
It is imperative to purchase high-quality pylons from trusted road-safety product suppliers. Since the pylons are used outdoors, it is essential that they are made from fade-free, UV-resistant materials. It is also imperative that they are lightweight in design for easy deployment and transportation. To reduce the space needed when transported or stored, the cones are designed to be hollow inside and this makes it possible to stack them to reduce the space they take up. Since the pylons are hollow and lightweight, there is always the risk that they will be blown over by strong winds. To prevent this, they have heavy, flat bases to keep them upright. These pylons, as available from trusted suppliers in South Africa like Armco, is available in various heights. It is imperative to use the appropriately sized pylons for the particular application.
Smaller cones are often used in parking lots or at pedestrian crossings, while the larger and more visible types are used at temporary roadworks, at roadblocks, and accident scenes. The extra-large types are used at mines and construction sites where heavy vehicles operate. Smaller types are frequently used to warn people of wet floors or hazards in public spaces. To this end, the pylons also serve to redirect foot traffic away from the hazards.
Though the pylons cannot prevent breakthrough by straying vehicles, the traffic cones are essential road safety devices to warn and redirect. Other types of barriers, like the water-filled yellow barriers, have interlock systems and form a chain. The water-filled barriers are also delineators and are not designed to act as crash barriers. However, due to their size and height, the units are highly visible and effectively warn motorists, whilst also serving the purpose of redirecting traffic away from the hazards. Whereas the bright yellow or orange pylons can be used at potholes to warn and redirect, the water-filled barriers are often placed at larger hazards such as slopes or large sections of roadworks. Before you buy traffic cones, water-filled barriers or an of the other types of temporary delineators, speak to the experts about the applications first. It is imperative to understand what type of road-safety product to use for a particular application in order to ensure the best performance and optimal safety levels. To this end, also ensure that you only buy from trusted suppliers of such products.
Where to Find Suppliers of Traffic Cones
If you want to purchase traffic cones in bulk and for applications on South African roads, make use of our services. We offer an extensive range of high-quality road-safety products and can advise your firm or department about the best products for your specific road-safety application or needs.