Previously I posted an article about motorcycle safety and the idea of leveraging the States variable message signs (VMS) for motorcycle awareness.
These neon signs are peppered across the metro area roadways and provide information about traffic congestion and accident reports. In addition they’ve been used as public safety reminders for drivers to buckle up, DUI driving and about the new cell phone law enacted earlier this year.
I submitted a request to ODOT, OSP and sent a letter to Governor Kulongoski’s office asking for their support and consideration in use of the message signs during Motorcycle Awareness Month (May). I’ve received no response from OSP or the Governor’s office. I’m sure they are busy. My request to ODOT did receive a quick response (thank you Janice!) as well as the request by an ODOT employee (Motorcycle Safety Program Manager – Michele). We were both promptly DENIED by the State Traffic Engineer.
The reason? They don’t want drivers to “tune out” the signs and stop paying attention to them. Huh? I get that message signs have a fundamental requirement to assist drivers in finding their anticipated destination in the most economical, reliable and safe way. And having a marketing background I totally understand the “tune out” factor, but a concern about message saturation is clearly “fuzzy logic!”
The exact response was:
“We have decided not to post safety messages on our traffic variable message signs unless they correspond with a targeted enforcement and media campaign. Educational safety messages don’t fit well into our Variable Message Sign Guidelines of something that requires an immediate decision (what – where – when). It might be a good approach for something like a massive motorcycle rally, along with some basic info on the rally, but not for general shotgun purposes.
If just general purpose safety messages become common, the impact of the signs is reduced – meaning people tune them out more. We really want to keep the messages on these sign to issues with immediate impact on travelers.”
Let’s see. If I’m following all this signage logic correctly then it would be valid for drivers to assume that when the VMS sign is blank it is disabled or broken too, correct?!
Not understanding the inner workings of ODOT, OSP and the Governor’s office, I ask via email if there was something the motorcycle community could do for ODOT to reconsider this decision and was informed the State Traffic Engineer decision is final.
It would’ve been so easy and convenient at this point to slide into a rant about “Why Government Doesn’t Work”, and use this ODOT example as the poster child. Then I could drone on about the overt power that one individual – a traffic engineer – wields over the state. I won’t. I’d like too, but I won’t. They undoubtedly have spent millions of tax $$ on studies about driver attitudes and through advanced mathematics know the optimum number of messages per driver that can be displayed in a precise timeframe which can be remembered by the ‘average’ human brain.
I’m aware of the MUTCD (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices) and I’d like to see this memory analysis and how ODOT’s “intelligent transportation” signage system has been optimized across the entire range of safety initiatives and driver demographics. I researched the U.S. Dept. of Transportation – Federal Highway Administration, Traffic Control Systems Handbook: Chapter 10, Traveler Information Systems — and a quick scan clearly indicates there are a number of appropriate applications for use of electronic signage around public service messages such as motorcycle safety, DUI or reminders to buckle up.
I haven’t given up on this, yet. Anyone interested to join me in emailing ODOT or the Governor to “Watch Out For Motorcycles?” Maybe I’d get more attention if I propose renting these electronic signs out to advertisers as a way to raise money for the state?! I can see a “Commuter Special Happy Hour” message now.
Photo courtesy of FHWA.
Northwest Harley Blog 
Ah, the joys of a bad economy. Not only has Caltrans, the california version of ODOT began to put watch out for motorcyclist messages on those electronic boards you speak of. Now, the state of California is looking at those boards as a potential means of advertising income.
Huh? What, So, we can’t text and drive in this state as it is to dangerous, but because there is money in it reading signs as your driving that contain ads is not dangerous.
yea…and you watch, Oregon and Washington are often times the monkey see monkey do fans of what the boneheaded politicians down here are doing.
Hey, just think, Burma Shave on electronic billboards…wow.
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[…] Disclosure: I’ve been disappointed in ODOT for 4+ years now about a proposal to use the Variable Message Signs (VMS) to help make the driving public more aware of […]