What is the difference in this terminology?

[G-Artist]

As my professor once said "words mean things" and in the case of law and rule of law words take on an important meaning.

A new law in Florida call for the use of "reflective" in signage. Interpretation is as follows: "a bright red reflective color with a contrasting background."

Sounds simple, doesn't it?

At the same time I am reading MUTCD. There they talk about "retroreflective" signage.

So, what would you consider the difference, if any?

I can buy 3M Retroreflective sheeting in white, stick on a red transparent vinyl and have a retroreflective sign. Heck, that's how a lot of street signs are made.

I could paint a daub of bright red on a white background and it would be quite reflective at night when hit with a flashlight or something brighter. I know the coro signs we produce nicely show the reds when hit by headlights, ergo they are "reflective".

The way I am reading all this is that any bright red, be it paint or vinyl is "reflective" by definition of the word "reflect." Whereas "retroreflective" as used by MUTCD is quite different and very specific.

Thoughts?

 

[iSign]

Wiki:

A retroreflector (sometimes called a retroflector) is a device or surface that reflects light back to its source with a minimum scattering of light. An electromagnetic wave front is reflected back along a vector that is parallel to but opposite in direction from the wave's source. The device or surface's angle of incidence is greater than zero. This is unlike a planar mirror, which does so only if the mirror is exactly perpendicular to the wave front, having a zero angle of incidence.

 

[Rick]

In the MUTCD. They mention specific levels of reflective that are required. They use the ASTM standards, and list types ( I, II, III, IV, V) required for certain signage. So it's not a random reflectivtivity... there is a standard.