Transportation department electronic billboards on highways may feature the best one-liners in America - Entrepreneur Generations

Electronic billboard slogans from the Utah Department of Transportation (Photo by Utah DOT)

On long stretches of rural road in states that limit billboards, sometimes the most entertaining signs are the official messaging devices of state highway devices. "As summer car travelers are noticing, state transportation officials have become a bit of a trip. Traffic specialists who once stuck to dispatches like 'Westbound I-70 left lane closed at Wentzville Parkway' are spicing up electronic billboards with snark, dad jokes and the occasional eyebrow-raiser," Jennifer Levitz reports for The Wall Street Journal.

Some examples include an admonition for drivers to "Get your head out of your apps" or warnings that "Santa sees you when you're speeding". It's unclear how well the eye-catching slogans help with road safety, but in a Federal Highway Administration-sponsored survey, respondents said roadside safety messages are more likely to change their driving behavior than other kinds of messages, Levitz reports.

Electronic billboards were originally used — and sometimes still are — for more staid reminders about lane closures and reminders to use your seatbelt. But about five years ago, an Iowa Department of Transportation employee helped start the trend of witty billboards, Levitz reports. Traffic and safety engineer Willy Sorenson was assigned to come up with public-safety slogans for when the billboards would otherwise be unused, and decided to have some fun with the messages. He and colleague Tracey Bramble brainstorm slogans twice a year, then run their ideas past a committee to make sure the slogans are suitable for use.

Other states' DOTs decided to get in on the fun, and now have a Facebook group to trade ideas, according to Sam Cole, the traffic safety communications manager for the Colorado Department of Transportation. And the Missouri Department of Transportation recently solicited ideas from the public. Taylor Brune, a spokesperson for the Missouri DOT, said that suggested slogan "Don't be a tool, buckle up fool" was one entry that they decided not to use. "That was was an obvious no for us," Brune told Levitz.

from The Rural Blog https://ift.tt/2NVlqiH Transportation department electronic billboards on highways may feature the best one-liners in America - Entrepreneur Generations

Posted by Entrepreneur Generations

Tweet