September October 2017

18 American Traffic Safety Services Association ATSSA MEMBER COMPANY & PUBLIC AGENCY NEWS Creative safety messages get attention, make a difference Traffic fatalities in the U.S. are on the rise. Recent data released by the National Safety Council estimates that approximately 40,00 fatalities occurred on the nation’s roadways in 2016, which translates to a 6 percent increase of traffic deaths when compared to 2015 statistics, and a 14 percent increase compared to 2014 totals. Rising or not, these figures have resulted in continuing efforts to promote safety campaigns and initiatives from a number of U.S. entities and organizations. Some state transportation departments have elected to post state fatality counts on dynamic message signs (DMS) along state interstates to raise public awareness and to positively impact driver behavior, but not every department determined posting daily fatality totals on DMS was the most effective way to impact motorists. This was the case in 2013, when Traffic and Safety Engineer for the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT), Willy Sorenson, was asked by the then-Iowa DOT Director, Paul Trombino, to research which states were posting fatality counts. Sorenson, who has worked with DMS for about 20 years, compiled the data but what ultimately followed the initial request was several rounds of expanded research and the reiteration of Sorenson’s firm belief that posting the same message each day results in motorists becoming desensitized to the underlying meaning of the messages, which is to promote safe driving. “As safety engineers, we hate repetitive messages on DMS,” Sorenson said. “They get swallowed in the doldrums of the road… I don’t mind safety messages as long as they’re creative. This seemed like an opportunity to [post] safety messages that aren’t the typical ones.” Sorenson said he proposed a plan that would exclude the biggest annoyances of traffic engineers, including posting the same messages, which he added is unoriginal and frankly put—“boring.” “It hit me to have this tag line called Message Monday and you can’t do Message Monday on Tuesday,” Sorenson said, adding the messages would be different and creative each week. He pitched his idea to the Iowa DOT director, who was fully supportive and suggested he work with staff members from Iowa DOT’s Office of Strategic Communications to draft a formal program outline. Iowa DOT communications specialist, Tracey Bramble, was looped into the planning stages as to what would soon grace the DMS along Iowa’s interstates. Together Bramble and Sorenson worked to draft six months of messages that could be posted in addition to the traffic fatality totals. The fatality counts from Friday are posted Monday morning and any deaths that occurred over the weekend are added to afternoon posts. “[Traffic safety engineers] want messages to capture attention and solicit some response,” Bramble said. “Good, bad or indifferent, it doesn’t matter as long as people are talking about safety and talking about the message and talking about the ideas behind the message— that’s what we’re going for.” Bramble said she and Sorenson cross-reference a number of different calendars when drafting the weekly messages for six-month periods. The pair of planners consider major holidays, statewide events and safety campaigns or promotions held by organizations including the National Highway Traffic Safety Association and the National Safety Council. Public input and message suggestions also are considered. Some of the most popular messages combine events and pop culture icons. Since the Message Monday program took off, and about 200 messages later, Bramble and Sorenson said they have only repeated two or three messages. “In the beginning, Tracey and I were looking at white sheets of paper and we had to have something to spring us off of, to give us a topic,” Sorenson said. “Once you give us a topic, it’s fun making these messages.” In 2014, the weekly program was merged with Iowa’s Zero Fatalities program. Monday messages now generally relate to one of the five focus areas incorporated in the Zero Fatalities Program, although some messages are categorized as general safety tips. The five driving behaviors addressed include speeding, drunk driving, distracted driving, drowsy driving and using seat belts. Last year, Iowa DOT stated there were 224 fatalities, which involved speeding or aggressive driving, 120 fatalities involving impaired driving, 116 in which a seat belt was not used, 48 involving distracted driving and six deaths involving drowsy driving. Iowa DMS program displays nontraditional safety messages in hopes of greater impact The Iowa Department of Transportation’s Communication Specialist, Tracey Bramble, and Traffic and Safety Engineer, Willy Sorenson, have worked to craft creative safety messages for the state’s Dynamic Message Signs since 2013.