High friction surface systems were developed in Europe several decades ago, with the first applications in the United States in the late 70’s.  As such, many of the HFS products available in the U.S. were originally developed in Europe and have a long track record of proven performance.

Since most HFS products are proprietary in nature, the British Board of Agreement, together the British Highways Agency and County Surveyors’ Society, developed the HAPAS (Highway Authorities Product Approval Scheme) in 1995 to approve innovative products, materials, and systems for use in highways and other areas.  HFS is one such product, and vendors in the UK looking to promote and place their product must go through stringent testing under HAPAS in order to certify their product for use in the UK.