A national guidebook that “affects safety on countless roads” around the US has been updated to “reflects changes in how Americans travel”.
The US Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has announced the 11th edition of the ‘Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways’, known as the MUTCD.
The manual, last updated edition in 2009, is the national standard for traffic signs, signals, and pavement markings to ensure a uniform and predictable environment for people who walk, bike, and drive.
“The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices is a vitally important guidebook that affects safety on countless roads around the country,” said US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
“With this long-awaited update to the MUTCD, we are helping our state and local partners make it safer to walk, bike, and drive, and embracing new technologies with the potential to make our transportation system safer and more efficient.”
As part of the process of updating the 11th edition, the FHWA sought and incorporated input from the public nationwide, including state and local traffic engineers, traffic control device technicians, and other stakeholders.
The FHSA said the latest edition reflects changes in how Americans travel since the last update of the manual over a decade ago. It also streamlines processes and makes permanent a number of traffic control device applications that previously required special approval. The new MUTCD includes pedestrian safety enhancements such as the rectangular rapid-flashing beacon and crosswalk marking patterns that are proven to be more visible. The updated MUTCD supports USDOT’s National Roadway Safety Strategy, which adopts a multi-layered approach with the ambitious goal of zero deaths on the nation’s roads.
