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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah drivers are in the middle of the state’s "100 Deadliest Days," from Memorial Day to Labor Day, when car crashes increase by 50 percent, according to ZeroFatalities.com.
The Utah Department of Transportation is getting creative with its messaging by using personalized messages on its overhead high way signs to grab the attention of drivers on the road like this: “Dude, Mike, slow down bro.”
“We want to personalize these messages. We want to be speaking to people, just like you would if you were talking to a friend. It’s a message that needs to get across,” said UDOT spokesman John Gleason.
UDOT chose a few common names to display on the highway signs: Jen, Jared, Kristy, Josh, and Mike.
Five different messages reminded drivers about the five deadliest driving behaviors during the summer: distracted driving, drowsy driving, impaired driving, speeding, and driving without wearing a seatbelt.
For the last three years, UDOT has sponsored “Message Monday,” by displaying clever messaging on overhead highway signs to remind drivers to drive safely.
“Anything that we can do to bring attention to these driving behaviors—that’s our goal here is to cut down on the number of fatalities—bring that number down to zero where it should be!” Gleason said.
UDOT hopes these sign will encourage drivers to fix any bad driving habits they might have. UDOT said Utah’s "100 Deadliest Days of Summer" are not deadly because there is bad weather or poor road conditions, but rather because drivers tend to make poor decisions when the sky is clear and the roads are dry.
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