Highway Safety Corridor Signage Research

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Highway Safety Corridor Signage Research
Virginia Department of TransportationVirginia
State Police Virginia Department of Motor
Vehicles
Presented By The Pulsar Team Pulsar Advertising
and The Marketing Source December 2003
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Objectives

• Develop an information program that best conveys
  the Highway Safety Corridor
• Develop messages and signage
• Test
• Select the signs that
• Encourage motorists to drive more safely
• Alert motorists to increased fines in that
  corridor

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Methodology

• Three Focus Groups
• 9-10 participants per group
• Qualitative Research
• Members are paid for their participation.
• Qualifications
• 18-54 years of age
• Travel at least once a week on the corridor in
  question

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Location of Focus Groups
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What is traffic like on these corridors?
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What Are The Critical Issues?
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Highway Safety Corridor Concept

• No awareness.
• Initially thought it was a highway
• where testing was occurring
• built to be safe
• with increase police enforcement
• with increased congestion/accidents

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Reaction to the Highway Safety Corridor Concept

• Very positive
• View it as partnership

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• To work, you need signage and enforcement. A
  program without enforcement is worthless.
  (Roanoke)

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Enforcement Is Critical

• The program needs teeth a visible police
  presence. (NOVA)
• It will work if you have a presence of police.
  (Hampton Roads)
• Motorists want
• A CONSISTENT, visible presence
• Marked cars
• Double Fines attract attention!

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Speed Checked By Aircraft
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Signage

• Signs that attract the most attention
• variable message signs
• signs with reflectors, whirligigs, or flashing
  lights
• different color signs (i.e. red signage)
• check your speed signs
• rumble strips at corridor entry point
• signs with current travel speeds
• Approximately 10 signs tested in each market.

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Critical Elements for the Name Signage

• Keep it simple
• Short words
• Large font
• Un-crowded format
• Easy to read
• State the consequences
• Use the term Zone instead of Corridor
• Include graphics
• Have signs that indicate entrance into zone
• Have intermittent signs as reminders

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Shape of Sign
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Color of Sign
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Regional Differences
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Recommendations
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• 1 Install two types of signs
• Primary Signs
• Peripheral Signs
•  2 Make Primary Signs Zone Alert"
• Indicates when drivers are entering the zone
•  3 Follow with variety of Peripheral Signs
• Convey "Driving Behavior" messages
• Tailor to address dangers and road/driving
  challenges of the zone
•  

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Recommended Primary Signage
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Recommended Peripheral Signage
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QA
Presented By The Pulsar Team Pulsar Advertising
and The Marketing Source December 2003