See Me Flags FAQ: Effectiveness, Cost, Laws, and Installation

See Me Flags is a crosswalk safety system that helps drivers see pedestrians waiting to cross. A pedestrian takes a bright orange flag from a bin, holds it where drivers can see it, crosses when it is safe, and returns it to the bin on the other side. Schools, municipalities, and community groups use it, and the flags and bins are made in the USA.

Source: See Me Flags homepage

Preliminary data from the Governors Highway Safety Association show 7,148 pedestrians were killed in US traffic crashes in 2024. That is down 4.3% from 2023, the second straight annual decline, but still nearly 20% above 2016. Visibility tools such as crosswalk flags are one way communities work to protect people on foot.

Source: GHSA, 2024 preliminary data

In a field study for TCRP and NCHRP, drivers yielded to pedestrians with flags 46% to 79% of the time, averaging 65%, at crossings in Salt Lake City and Kirkland. A 2019 Las Vegas study of 160 crossings found drivers were significantly more likely to yield when pedestrians carried flags. Results varied by site, since speed limit and number of lanes affected how well treatments worked.

Source: TCRP/NCHRP, Improving Pedestrian Safety at Unsignalized Crossings; Clark et al. 2019, Sustainability

A See Me Flags Crosswalk Starter Set costs $199.99 and covers one crosswalk: two storage bins, 12 reflective flags, and hardware to mount the bins on existing street signs. The non-reflective starter set is $159.99. Replacement flags start at $39.99 for a set of 12. Prices are listed at seemeflags.com and may change.

Source: See Me Flags starter set; See Me Flags shop

The Federal Highway Administration reports that rectangular rapid-flashing beacons cost $4,500 to $52,000 each installed, averaging $22,250. A See Me Flags starter set costs $199.99. Beacons can produce higher yielding rates, up to 98% at some marked crosswalks and as low as 19% at others. Flags give communities a fast, low-cost option while larger projects are funded.

Source: FHWA, RRFB Countermeasure Tech Sheet

The Federal Highway Administration has stated that a pedestrian flag is not a traffic control device, so no federal approval is needed to use flags. Rules for placing flag holders on public property are set locally, and some cities limit where holders can go. Check with your city, county, or state transportation office before installing.

Source: FHWA letter, April 27, 2005

Contact whoever owns the road, usually the city, county, or state transportation department. Requirements vary. Seattle's guidelines for community-run flags, for example, allow flags only at legal crosswalks, require holders within five feet of the crosswalk attached with zip-ties or other temporary materials, and say the city may remove holders at any time.

Source: Seattle DOT, Pedestrian Crossing Flags

Laws differ by state. Some require drivers to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks and others require them to yield. Virginia Code 46.2-924, for example, requires drivers to yield to pedestrians in marked crosswalks, while pedestrians may not step into the road in a way that creates an immediate hazard. PBIC and America Walks publish a state-by-state database of stop or yield laws.

Source: See Me Flags, Virginia crosswalk laws; PBIC and America Walks, state yielding laws (2013)

Take a flag from the bin, hold it where approaching drivers can see it, and cross when it is safe. Return it to the bin on the other side. Look left, right, and left again, make eye contact with drivers before stepping in front of a car, and avoid phones and headphones. A flag does not guarantee that drivers will stop.

Source: See Me Flags, crossing tips

The two bins mount on opposite sides of a crosswalk, typically on existing street signs, so flags are available to pedestrians crossing in either direction. Each starter set includes attachment hardware for standard street signs, plus instructions and reflective tape for the bins. Confirm local rules for attaching equipment to signs before installing.

Source: See Me Flags starter set

Both are fluorescent orange, vinyl-coated nylon flags measuring 12 by 12 inches on a 24-inch dowel. Reflective flags add a reflective strip sewn into both sides, which improves visibility at dawn and dusk. The reflective starter set costs $199.99 and the non-reflective set costs $159.99. Choose reflective where pedestrians cross in low light.

Source: See Me Flags, safety flags; See Me Flags homepage

Yes. See Me Flags sells reflective and non-reflective replacement flags separately in sets of 12, 24, 50, and 100. Sets of 12 cost $39.99 non-reflective and $69.99 reflective. Sets of 24 cost $69.99 non-reflective and $129.99 reflective. No starter set purchase is required.

Source: See Me Flags shop

The flags are vinyl-coated nylon in a fluorescent material, and the starter set bins are described as sturdy and all-weather. See Me Flags flags and bins are made in the USA, and orders ship from warehouses in Maryland and Rhode Island.

Source: See Me Flags starter set; See Me Flags homepage

Yes. Submit a request through the Contact Us form with the items you need, your shipping address, your contact details, your organization's name, and tax-exempt documentation if applicable. See Me Flags sends a formal quote, which you use to issue your purchase order. Payment can be made by check or credit card.

Source: See Me Flags, purchase orders

Organizations eligible for a state sales tax exemption can have tax refunded. Place your order as usual. If sales tax was charged, contact See Me Flags through the Contact Us form with your order number and tax-exempt documentation. After verification, the tax is refunded to your original payment method and your exemption is kept on file for future orders.

Source: See Me Flags, sales tax exempt