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Public has two chances locally to comment on budget plan
Why doesn't VDOT use highway signs to broadcast information on state law
Date published: 3/2/2009
MEETING dates and times have been announced to comment on the Virginia Department of Transportation's plans to cut back on mowing, interstate maintenance, highway safety service patrols, and closing rest areas Rest areas in Thornburg and Dale City on Interstate 95 would be closed starting in July under the plan. Fredericksburg's rest area and welcome center would stay open. A meeting will be held in Culpeper at 6 p.m. on March 19 at the Daniel Technology Center, 18121 Technology Drive. Another meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on March 30 at the Caroline County Community Center, 17202 Richmond Turnpike. Dear Kelly: Could VDOT make use of those expensive overhead warning signs on I-95 for other than emergency warnings? An example would be to remind drivers on rainy days that in Virginia you are required to turn on your headlights if precipitation is present! It's the law. I think the signs are under-utilized and drivers would benefit from an occasional gentle nudge to comply with current laws. --John Eskam, Spotsylvania Yes, drivers in Virginia must turn on their vehicle's headlights whenever the windshield wipers are activated during inclement weather. Good reminder, just in time for spring. But the Virginia Department of Transportation will not be notifying people of this state law on the electronic message boards on major highways. "Whenever those message signs are activated with any message, it tends to slow traffic down," said Tina Bundy, VDOT spokeswoman, Fredericksburg District. "So we try to limit the messages on the boards to incident or traffic conditions, warning people of those conditions. "If we put any other message up there, they tend not to be effective because people then stop paying attention to it," Bundy said. Even when the message is necessary and legitimate--say, a crash at Exit 136, with traffic delays--everyone on I-95 slows down substantially to read it. That's a good thing. People slow down and read the sign now because they know the message will be important. VDOT uses these boards so sparingly, when the board does say something, drivers pay attention.
Date published: 3/2/2009
Signs
(posted by
PYTHON37
, Mar. 2, 2009 7:00 pm)
"Don't Drive and Drive" It's dangerous!
WiseReader
(posted by
WiseReader
, Mar. 2, 2009 10:12 am)
There is a very good reason for not posting messages on overhead boards. I have difficulty seeing and reading these messages at 65 mph which causes me to slowdown as well as distracting me while driving. When I see a message board I want to know that the information is about taffic conditions. I frequently drive I95 in Marylsnd on holidays and the non-traffic mesages are distraxcting, dangerous, and not necessary.
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