Emily
Editor, Senior Moderator
https://kfgo.com/2022/04/22/freeway-fatality-messaging-signs-doing-more-harm-than-good/
Freeway fatality messaging signs doing more harm than good
Fargo, ND, USA / The Mighty 790 KFGO | KFGO
Ryan Janke
Apr 22, 2022 | 4:17 PM
MINNEAPOLIS (KFGO/WCCO) – A new study from the University of Minnesota and University of Toronto shows electronic highway death toll message boards are actually causing more crashes instead of preventing them.
U of M Carlson School of Management Professor Joshua Madsen was part of the study, which focused on Texas.
“More and more states have adopted what we call these ‘fatality messages,’ where they’re trying to get a little bit more stark, a little bit more sobering, and convey to drivers, ‘Hey-driving is risky,” Madsen said. “Please, please slow down.’ And the brilliant idea was, ‘let’s show how many people have actually died in hopes that this sobering message will induce them to finally drive safer and improve driver safety.”
But, in short, Madsen said these message boards are backfiring. The research suggests fatality messages cause an additional 2,600 crashes and 16 deaths per year in Texas. Madsen said this in-your-face messaging approach weighs down drivers’ ‘cognitive loads.’...
Freeway fatality messaging signs doing more harm than good
Fargo, ND, USA / The Mighty 790 KFGO | KFGO
Ryan Janke
Apr 22, 2022 | 4:17 PM
MINNEAPOLIS (KFGO/WCCO) – A new study from the University of Minnesota and University of Toronto shows electronic highway death toll message boards are actually causing more crashes instead of preventing them.
U of M Carlson School of Management Professor Joshua Madsen was part of the study, which focused on Texas.
“More and more states have adopted what we call these ‘fatality messages,’ where they’re trying to get a little bit more stark, a little bit more sobering, and convey to drivers, ‘Hey-driving is risky,” Madsen said. “Please, please slow down.’ And the brilliant idea was, ‘let’s show how many people have actually died in hopes that this sobering message will induce them to finally drive safer and improve driver safety.”
But, in short, Madsen said these message boards are backfiring. The research suggests fatality messages cause an additional 2,600 crashes and 16 deaths per year in Texas. Madsen said this in-your-face messaging approach weighs down drivers’ ‘cognitive loads.’...