1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E. 

Washington, DC 20590

February 12, 2008 

In Reply Refer To: HSSD/SS-158 

Mr. Todd Jackson 

Deputy Director of Engineering 

ACS Inc. 

12410 Milestone Center Drive, Suite 400 

Germantown, MD 20876 

Dear Mr. Jackson: 

Your mail correspondence of September 3, 2007, was received by our office via courier service 

on December 18, 2007, and requested Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) acceptance of 

your company's ACS Red Light Camera mounted on the previously accepted breakaway sign 

post, the Pelco GS-11 pole and base support. You requested acceptance for use of your product 

on the National Highway System (NHS) under the provisions of the National Cooperative 

Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350 "Recommended Procedures for the Safety 

Performance Evaluation of Highway Features". Accompanying your letter was a report of the 

crash test results prepared by E-Tech Testing Services, an accredited laboratory. The summary 

of crash test results and a drawing of the ACS Red Light Camera are enclosed. 

The tested installation included an ACS Red Light Camera mounted on a Pelco GS-11 pole and 

base. The installation system includes the 15 inches (380 mm) high cast aluminum Pelco base 

with PB-5325 reinforcing collar, 4.5 inch (114 mm) diameter by 0.43 inch (11 mm) thick spun 

aluminum pole, ACS GS-11 camera unit (mounting height of (10 feet (3.05 m)), 2 feet (610 mm) 

diameter by 4 feet (1220 mm) deep reinforced concrete pile foundation (3.94 inches (100 mm) 

above grade), and accompanying 0.984 inch (25 mm) diameter 90 degree anchor bolts with 

washers and locking nuts mounting hardware. A steel weight was secured inside the GS-11 

camera enclosure to simulate the mass of the corresponding 18 kg red light camera. The total 

test article mass was 110 kg. This installation was assembled and positioned according to the 

manufacturer’s instructions. 

Testing of the Pelco GS-11 pole and base was previously conducted for the NCHRP Report 350 

Test 2-60 and accepted by the FHWA in May 1992. You recently conducted Test 2-61 to meet 

test level 2 (TL-2) acceptance criteria and to verify the performance of the breakaway pole with 

the ACS Red Light Camera mounted to it. During the test, the vehicle bumper contacted the 

lower portion of the support approximately 17 inches (432 mm) above grove ground level. The 

Pelco base fractured near the foundation level and the support pole flipped above the vehicle 

while the vehicle passed underneath it without further contact. The Pelco GS-11 pole and base 
2

activated in a predictable manner by fracturing and breaking away and the remaining stub height 

did not exceed 4 inches (102 mm). The ACS Red Light Camera remained securely mounted to 

the pole. 

The maximum occupant impact velocity was 3.0 m/s and the maximum occupant ridedown 

acceleration was 7.3 g’s. 

When the ACS Red Light Camera mounted on a Pelco GS-11 pole and base are installed as 

described above, this is acceptable for use at all appropriate locations on the NHS as a TL-2 

device under the provisions of NCHRP Report 350 when selected by the contracting authority. 

Please note the following standard provisions that apply to the FHWA letters of acceptance: 

• This acceptance is limited to the crashworthiness characteristics of the devices and does not 

cover their structural features, nor conformity with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control 

Devices. 

• Any changes that may adversely influence the crashworthiness of the device will require a 

new acceptance letter. 

• Should the FHWA discover that the qualification testing was flawed, that in-service 

performance reveals unacceptable safety problems, or that the device being marketed is 

significantly different from the version that was crash tested, it reserves the right to modify or 

revoke its acceptance. 

• You will be expected to supply potential users with sufficient information on design and 

installation requirements to ensure proper performance. 

• You will be expected to certify to potential users that the hardware furnished has essentially 

the same chemistry, mechanical properties, and geometry as that submitted for acceptance, 

and that they will meet the crashworthiness requirements of the FHWA and the NCHRP 

Report 350. 

• To prevent misunderstanding by others, this letter of acceptance designated as number 

SS-158 shall not be reproduced except in full. This letter and the test documentation upon 

which this letter is based is public information. All such letters and documentation may be 

reviewed at our office upon request. 

• The ACS Red Light Camera and the Pelco GS-11 pole are patented products and considered 

proprietary. If proprietary devices are specified by a highway agency for use on Federal-aid 

projects, except exempt, non-NHS projects, they: (a) must be supplied through competitive 

bidding with equally suitable unpatented items; (b) the highway agency must certify that they 

are essential for synchronization with the existing highway facilities or that no equally 

suitable alternative exists; or (c) they must be used for research or for a distinctive type of 

construction on relatively short sections of road for experimental purposes. Our regulations 

concerning proprietary products are contained in Title 23, Code of Federal Regulations, 

Section 635.411. 

• This acceptance letter shall not be construed as authorization or consent by the FHWA to use, 

manufacture, or sell any patented device for which the applicant is not the patent holder. The 

acceptance letter is limited to the crashworthiness characteristics of the candidate device, and 
3

the FHWA is neither prepared nor required to become involved in issues concerning 

 patent law. Patent issues, if any, are to be resolved by the applicant. 

Sincerely yours, 

David A. Nicol, P.E. 

Director, Office of Safety Design 

Office of Safety 

Enclosures 

FHWA:HSSD:MLupes:tb:x66994:1/31/08 

File: s://directory folder/mlupes/SS158-ACSredlightcamera_pelco pole.doc 

cc: HSSD (Reader, HSA; Chron File, HSSD; M.Lupes, HSSD; 

 M.Bloschock, HSSD; M.McDonough, HSSD) 
1200 New Jersey Ave., S.E. 

Washington, DC 20590

February 12, 2008 

In Reply Refer To: HSSD/SS-158 

Mr. Todd Jackson 

Deputy Director of Engineering 

ACS Inc. 

12410 Milestone Center Drive, Suite 400 

Germantown, MD 20876 

Dear Mr. Jackson: 

Your mail correspondence of September 3, 2007, was received by our office via courier service 

on December 18, 2007, and requested Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) acceptance of 

your company's ACS Red Light Camera mounted on the previously accepted breakaway sign 

post, the Pelco GS-11 pole and base support. You requested acceptance for use of your product 

on the National Highway System (NHS) under the provisions of the National Cooperative 

Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 350 "Recommended Procedures for the Safety 

Performance Evaluation of Highway Features". Accompanying your letter was a report of the 

crash test results prepared by E-Tech Testing Services, an accredited laboratory. The summary 

of crash test results and a drawing of the ACS Red Light Camera are enclosed. 

The tested installation included an ACS Red Light Camera mounted on a Pelco GS-11 pole and 

base. The installation system includes the 15 inches (380 mm) high cast aluminum Pelco base 

with PB-5325 reinforcing collar, 4.5 inch (114 mm) diameter by 0.43 inch (11 mm) thick spun 

aluminum pole, ACS GS-11 camera unit (mounting height of (10 feet (3.05 m)), 2 feet (610 mm) 

diameter by 4 feet (1220 mm) deep reinforced concrete pile foundation (3.94 inches (100 mm) 

above grade), and accompanying 0.984 inch (25 mm) diameter 90 degree anchor bolts with 

washers and locking nuts mounting hardware. A steel weight was secured inside the GS-11 

camera enclosure to simulate the mass of the corresponding 18 kg red light camera. The total 

test article mass was 110 kg. This installation was assembled and positioned according to the 

manufacturer’s instructions. 

Testing of the Pelco GS-11 pole and base was previously conducted for the NCHRP Report 350 

Test 2-60 and accepted by the FHWA in May 1992. You recently conducted Test 2-61 to meet 

test level 2 (TL-2) acceptance criteria and to verify the performance of the breakaway pole with 

the ACS Red Light Camera mounted to it. During the test, the vehicle bumper contacted the 

lower portion of the support approximately 17 inches (432 mm) above grove ground level. The 

Pelco base fractured near the foundation level and the support pole flipped above the vehicle 

while the vehicle passed underneath it without further contact. The Pelco GS-11 pole and base 
2

activated in a predictable manner by fracturing and breaking away and the remaining stub height 

did not exceed 4 inches (102 mm). The ACS Red Light Camera remained securely mounted to 

the pole. 

The maximum occupant impact velocity was 3.0 m/s and the maximum occupant ridedown 

acceleration was 7.3 g’s. 

When the ACS Red Light Camera mounted on a Pelco GS-11 pole and base are installed as 

described above, this is acceptable for use at all appropriate locations on the NHS as a TL-2 

device under the provisions of NCHRP Report 350 when selected by the contracting authority. 

Please note the following standard provisions that apply to the FHWA letters of acceptance: 

• This acceptance is limited to the crashworthiness characteristics of the devices and does not 

cover their structural features, nor conformity with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control 

Devices. 

• Any changes that may adversely influence the crashworthiness of the device will require a 

new acceptance letter. 

• Should the FHWA discover that the qualification testing was flawed, that in-service 

performance reveals unacceptable safety problems, or that the device being marketed is 

significantly different from the version that was crash tested, it reserves the right to modify or 

revoke its acceptance. 

• You will be expected to supply potential users with sufficient information on design and 

installation requirements to ensure proper performance. 

• You will be expected to certify to potential users that the hardware furnished has essentially 

the same chemistry, mechanical properties, and geometry as that submitted for acceptance, 

and that they will meet the crashworthiness requirements of the FHWA and the NCHRP 

Report 350. 

• To prevent misunderstanding by others, this letter of acceptance designated as number 

SS-158 shall not be reproduced except in full. This letter and the test documentation upon 

which this letter is based is public information. All such letters and documentation may be 

reviewed at our office upon request. 

• The ACS Red Light Camera and the Pelco GS-11 pole are patented products and considered 

proprietary. If proprietary devices are specified by a highway agency for use on Federal-aid 

projects, except exempt, non-NHS projects, they: (a) must be supplied through competitive 

bidding with equally suitable unpatented items; (b) the highway agency must certify that they 

are essential for synchronization with the existing highway facilities or that no equally 

suitable alternative exists; or (c) they must be used for research or for a distinctive type of 

construction on relatively short sections of road for experimental purposes. Our regulations 

concerning proprietary products are contained in Title 23, Code of Federal Regulations, 

Section 635.411. 

• This acceptance letter shall not be construed as authorization or consent by the FHWA to use, 

manufacture, or sell any patented device for which the applicant is not the patent holder. The 

acceptance letter is limited to the crashworthiness characteristics of the candidate device, and 
3

the FHWA is neither prepared nor required to become involved in issues concerning 

 patent law. Patent issues, if any, are to be resolved by the applicant. 

Sincerely yours, 

David A. Nicol, P.E. 

Director, Office of Safety Design 

Office of Safety 

Enclosures 

FHWA:HSSD:MLupes:tb:x66994:1/31/08 

File: s://directory folder/mlupes/SS158-ACSredlightcamera_pelco pole.doc 

cc: HSSD (Reader, HSA; Chron File, HSSD; M.Lupes, HSSD; 

 M.Bloschock, HSSD; M.McDonough, HSSD) 
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Test Agency............................................................

Test Designation .................................................... Test No. ...................................................................

Date.. .................... Test Article

Type ........

E-TECH Testing Services, Inc.

NCHRP 350 Test 2-61

68-7638-001

7/27/07

Affiliated Compu«lr Services, Inc.

ACS Red Light Camera System with

Pelco GS-11 Base and Pole

Normal, centerline

Exit conditions

Speed (km/h) ;.............

Angle (deg) .............................................................

Occupant Risk Values

Impact Velocity (m/s) x-direction ......................................................

y-directio n " ..........

Ridedown Acceleration (g's) x-direction -2.9

y-direction 7.3

European Committee for Normalization (CEN) Values

THIV (km/h) 10.9

PHD (g's) 7.3

ASI 0.6

Test Article

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Impact Orientation ................................................ Size and/or dimension and material

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aluminum; upright pole 114 mm dia,

11 mm thick spun aluminum

Foundation 610 mm dia by 1220 mm

deep reinforced concrete

Mounting hardware 25 mm 90 deg

anchor bolts, washers, and lock nuts

Mass - 110 kg

"''''''''''''' ...................................

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Type .........................................................................

Designati 0n ............ Mod eI ...................

Mass (kg)

Curb ................................................................

Test inertial....................................................

Du mmy...........................................................

Gross Static ....................................................

Impact Conditions

Speed (km/h) ..........................................................

Angle (deg) .............................................................

Impact Severity (kJ) ..............................................

Production Model

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1988 Ford Festiva

100 mm

(above foundation) .................................

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CD C .................

Interior

OCD I ...........................................

Maximum Deformation (mm) ......................

Post-Impact Vehicular Behavior (deg -rate gyro)

Maximum Roll Angle ............................................

Maximum Pitch Angle ..........................................

Maximum Yaw Angle ............................................

Figure 1.Summary ofResults-ACS Red Light Camera Test 68-7638-001

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