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Minnesota-Made Traffic Sign Celebrates A Milestone

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- There have been a lot of great inventions made right here in the state of Minnesota. The obvious ones are roller blades, the stapler, the pacemaker.

But one the country and world relies on every day to keep us safe on the roads is celebrating a milestone.

"We thought we could not let this momentous occasion pass by without celebrating," said Paul Acito, of 3M Traffic Safety and Security.

3M is celebrating the 75th birthday of no, not the traffic sign, but what's on it -- little glass beads that cause it to reflect light, making it easier for drivers to see at night.

It's the invention of a Ramsey County surveyor back in 1939.

"Before 1939, before you had fully reflective road signs, the nighttime driving environment was treacherous. There was a lot accidents," Acito said.

The stop sign then had black letters, a white or yellow background and were printed on hard to read sheet metal. 3M's reflective material helped standardize all warning signs.

"Before that, stop signs weren't red and they were octagonal. Certainly, they weren't retro reflective so we played a role in a public-private partnership with governments all around the world to standardize the stop sign, the yield sign, all kinds of other things," he said.

Over time the number of nighttime crashes dropped, and driving in construction zones, which can be tricky to navigate, has become safer.

"It's one of few places on the road that you don't know as a driver quite what is happening next," said Ken Smith, corporate scientist for 3M. "They're moving you, they're taking you on a detour because of some construction and importance of visibility is huge."

Today, the Minnesota invention continues to find new appreciation, as the population of aging baby boomers on the roads, grows.

"For the aging population that's over 65 years old, there will be 50 million drivers over the age of 65," Acito said. "In the year 2020, half of that will be over the age of 75. So you can imagine that right now is the time for more 3M technology, brighter, more reflective materials like we make at 3M."

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