One of the most common roles of pavement markings is traffic control. Traffic control markings are specially designed to help maintain order, organize traffic flow, and provide visual cues about upcoming driving situations. With the amount of traffic on U.S. roadways increasing every year, it becomes ever more important to provide drivers and pedestrians with information that can help reduce dangerous traffic problems.

In addition to roadside signs, most cities, counties, and states paint words and symbols directly on roadways and sidewalks to provide drivers and pedestrians with helpful information. These words and symbols are called pavement markings, and they are designed to help prevent accidents and other traffic issues. The specific symbols can vary by location, but the use of standardized pavement markings can result in safer travel for everyone.In short, pavement markings are just another way of communicating specific information to drivers and pedestrians.

To make the creation of these pavement markings easier and more standardized, pavement marking stencils are commonly used. High quality, reusable traffic marking stencils allow a few individuals to apply a lot of traffic control markings in a relatively short amount of time. California Traffic Safety provides some of the best traffic control stencils in the industry. Some of our most common types of traffic control pavement stencils include:

• Traffic Control Words – e.g. stop, yield, school zone
• Traffic Direction Arrows – e.g. left turn only arrow, straight/right turn combo arrow
• Lane Designation Markings – e.g. hov, bike lane symbols
• Curbside Pavement Markings – e.g. loading zone, fire lane, no parking

In order for these traffic control pavement markings to be as effective as possible, they should follow a these five guidelines:

1. Markings should be clear and legible.
2. Every marking should present a single, clear message.
3. Each marking should be properly placed and clearly visible from a distance.
4. The materials used to create the markings should be durable and long lasting in order to decrease the amount of long term maintenance needed.
5. Markings should not be detrimental to a driver under normal conditions. For example, slippery materials could potentially result in a driver’s loss of control.

To comply with these guidelines, most symbols and words placed on pavement or a cement surface are created using either pavement thermoplastic or pavement paint. These substances are specially designed for use in creating clear, long-lasting traffic control road markings.

Here at California Traffic Safety, we pride ourselves on offering a wide range of top quality stencils for your traffic control marking needs. In order to help you make the best choice, we’ve provided you with three main things you should take into consideration when purchasing your traffic control stencils:

• Thickness – Getting stencils that are the right thickness can be pivotal in making sure that your traffic control markings are perfect. Stencils that are too thin for the purpose they’re being used for can result in uneven symbols or paint seeping through around the edges. On smooth pavement, you can typically use relatively thin stencils (appx. 10 mm thick). However, if you’re working on an uneven area or with volatile paint, you’ll want a thicker stencil, often between 60 mm and 125 mm.
• Materials Used – We understand that it can seem like a good idea to get cheap stencils made of cardboard or other disposable materials. Unfortunately, these cheap stencils tend to soak up paint and become unusable after only one or two uses. In the long run, this can actually end up costing you more money. On the other hand, investing in high quality, reusable stencils made of more durable materials will cost you more up front, but they will save you money through repeated use. At Capital Traffic Surfaces, we make our stencils out of top quality aluminum sheeting, low density polyethylene (LDPE), or high density polyethylene (HDPE). We choose the material for each stencil based on what it will be used for and what type of paint or thermoplastic it will be used with.
• Stencil Dimensions – The overall dimensions of each stencil are dependent on what your requirements are. We maintain an inventory of common traffic control stencils in standard sizes, but you may need to purchase a custom stencil that is specifically designed for use in your project. In order to get a properly sized stencil, you’ll need to make sure the the length and width of the symbol or words — along with letter spacing — are properly sized for your end use. You’ll need to make sure that the stencil is sized so that the words or symbols easily fit into the desired space while accommodating any paint overflow.

While our standard traffic control stencils are effective in most circumstances, some companies find themselves in need of unique or irregularly sized traffic control symbols. If you need custom traffic control stencils, you’ve come to the right place. We pride ourselves on making high quality custom stencils with one of the fastest turnaround times in the industry. By using our state of the art CNC router, our team can take your special requirements and design, cut, and ship your custom stencils in just 3-5 business days.

Our high quality and short turn around make us the best option for custom traffic control marking stencils. No matter what you need, we can help you out. We encourage you to contact us today to find out which of our traffic control stencils are right for you.