6th Annual Shake Your Mailbox Day

Road Commission for Oakland County observes 6th Annual Shake Your Mailbox Day – 2014

Beverly Hills, Mich. — The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) asked residents who have mailboxes at the road edge to prepare for winter by shaking their mailbox. Gov. Rick Snyder has officially proclaimed Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014 the 6th Annual “Shake Your Mailbox Day” in Michigan.

The initiative is intended to prevent mailboxes from being damaged by snow pushed off the road by snowplows. “In most instances where mailboxes are damaged, the snowplow doesn’t actually hit the mailbox, but the force of snow thrown from the roadway is enough to knock down a loose mailbox,” explained RCOC Managing Director Dennis Kolar.  “Damage to posts and receptacles can often be prevented by proper routine maintenance.”

Shake Your Mailbox Day started in 2008 as the innovative idea of one county frustrated by residents’ complaints of damaged mailboxes. The County Road Association of Michigan and the United States Postal Service joined forces in 2009 for a statewide campaign. The campaign that generated a few chuckles at first has come to save homeowners both money and headaches.

Many homeowners have started the practice of changing batteries in smoke detectors and filters in furnaces when clocks are changed for daylight savings time. In the same manner, Shake Your Mailbox Day reminds homeowners to prepare their mailbox for winter.

“Taking time to tighten screws and secure mail receptacles now can prevent serious headaches later,” Kolar said. “If the mailbox moves when shaken, it probably won’t withstand standard snow-removal operations and should be repaired or replaced before winter.”

Although RCOC has a policy in place regarding replacement of mailboxes that have clearly been hit by a snowplow, road agencies have never assumed responsibility for mailbox damage caused by standard snow-removal operations.

Mailboxes are one of the only objects allowed by law to be placed in the road right of way. The location and construction of mailboxes must conform to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Postal Service and standards established by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).

“Each fall we find mailboxes that pose a serious roadside hazard to motorists and a liability risk for homeowners,” Kolar said. “Although milk cans filled with concrete, brick structures and other items can be considered attractive, they present significant dangers to motorists.”

If you have questions on what is permitted, please contact RCOC. The Road Commission can be reached by phone at 877-858-4804 or via the RCOC Web site, www.rcocweb.org (click on “contact us” on the homepage).

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6th Annual Shake Your Mailbox Day Fact Sheet

What is Shake Your Mailbox Day?

• Governor Rick Snyder has proclaimed Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014, the 6th Annual Shake Your Mailbox Day in Michigan.
• The day is designated to get the public involved in proactive mailbox maintenance.
• Record snowfalls in recent winters have led to an increase in the number of roadside mailboxes damaged by heavy snow thrown from passing plows. Many mailboxes damaged by winter snow removal had previously become loose or in need of repair after years of use, and damage could have been prevented by proper maintenance.
• Road agencies recognize damage to mailboxes is an inconvenience to residents and hope to minimize frustrations by encouraging preventative maintenance.
• Although the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and many local road agencies have policies for addressing mailboxes clearly damaged during winter maintenance operations, these policies vary by jurisdiction. One thing is consistent. Road agencies have never assumed responsibility for mailbox damage caused by snow thrown when clearing the roadway.
• Shake Your Mailbox Day began as a special project of the Roscommon County Road Commission in 2008. More than half of all county road agencies participated in the first statewide Shake Your Mailbox Day in 2009.

What Should Residents Do?

• Residents should prepare roadside mailboxes for winter by tightening screws and ensuring the post and receptacle are secure enough to endure large amounts of thrown snow. If the mailbox moves when shaken, it may not withstand standard snow-removal operations and should be repaired or replaced before winter.

What you need to know about mailboxes

• Mailboxes are one of the only objects allowed by law to be placed in the road right of way.
• The location and construction of roadside mailboxes must conform to specific rules and regulations.
• Each year, 70 to 100 people are killed in accidents involving rural mailboxes. Many others are permanently injured when mailboxes and their supports penetrate a vehicle’s windshield.
• Decorative mailbox stands, such as tractor wheels, brick structures, milk cans, etc., may present a liability risk for homeowners. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) warns “private individuals and corporations, as well as governmental entities, may be liable for their roles in creating or maintaining highway hazards.”
• Michigan’s state and local road agencies follow the standards published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in “A Guide for Erecting Mailboxes on Highways”:
• Only one support should be used per box or group of boxes.
• Wood posts should be no more than 4 ½ inches in diameter if round, 4×4 inches if rectangular.
• Metal pipes should be standard steel or aluminum with no more than a 2-inch inside diameter.
• Supports should yield or collapse if struck.  They should bend or fall away from a vehicle and not create a severe deceleration.
• Supports cannot be fitted with an anchor plate (metal post), embedded more than 24 inches into the ground or set in concrete.
• Mailboxes must be constructed of sheet metal, plastic or similar-weight materials, with weight not to exceed 11 pounds.
• The United States Postal Service asks that roadside mailboxes be 36 to 42 inches off the ground, and 8 to 12 inches behind the shoulder or the curb.
• A mailbox and its support will be considered hazardous to motorists when the support exceeds the described structural limitations.
• Any mailbox and its support considered to be a hazard should be removed from the road right of way and replaced.