Drivers often think of road signs as the nagging backseat driver. “Slow down!” “There’s a sharp turn coming up!” “Do you not understand that there may be ducks crossing here? Ducks!” Highway signs in Vermont are often thought of as the necessary evil of driving—until they save you. Yeah, that pothole you just narrowly missed sinking your front tire into? You totally would have hit that if there hadn’t been a sign to warn you about it.
Road signs help drivers know where they are going, warn drivers of hazards ahead, manage traffic flow and, yes, maintain discipline on the road. Love them or hate them, road signs are what allow us to safely maneuver through the roads and traffic of our daily commutes. What you may not have realized, however, is that signs can help during recovery efforts after a natural disaster as well.
Rescue teams have relied on road signs and other exterior signs in Vermont during hurricanes and other natural disasters to help them maneuver and organize their rescue efforts. Signs are crucial to rescue teams during natural disasters for a number of reasons.
Determine locations
During Hurricane Harvey, rescue teams received calls about missing people or reports of stranded individuals needing rescue. But before they could even initiate a rescue, they needed to know where they were going. During a flood or times of low visibility, identifying familiar landmarks can be nearly impossible. However, rescue teams can count on road signs to help. If you’re stranded during a natural disaster and don’t know where you are, a rescue team will always ask if you can identify any road signs nearby. Even just one visible road sign can help a rescue team know exactly where to start their search and rescue efforts.
Identify potential hazards
Even a few inches of water or low visibility due to heavy rains can make identifying potential road hazards nearly impossible. Potholes, sharp turns and narrow roadways always become much more dangerous in anything but perfect driving conditions, so identifying upcoming hazards is how safety signs in Vermont can help rescue teams avoid unseen dangers.
Help with navigation
Rescue teams are often made up of professionals and volunteers, locals and outside help. Having a reliable way to navigate unfamiliar territory during a natural disaster is essential to rescue teams, especially for those that may not be familiar with the area in which they’re working. Even in floodwaters, rescue teams can still use road signs and highway markers to navigate unfamiliar areas.
You could say that road signs are the unsung heroes of everything from your daily commute to emergency recovery efforts. Even when you don’t notice them, signs of all kinds, from road signs to construction signs in Vermont, are helping to provide order and keep people safe. That’s why our team at Always on Time Sign & Design has made signs a way of life for us. We know that people count on our durable, quality signs every day. To learn more about our products and services, please get in touch with our team!