Public Perception of Safety Messages and Public Service Announcements on Dynamic Message Signs in Rural Areas

Schroeder, Jeremy L.; Plapper, Eric; Zeng, Henry; Krile, Bob; Chu, Jimmy · 2016 · ROSA P / United States. Federal Highway Administration

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

Get this paper ↗ (full text — opens at the source; we link to it, we don't host it)

Summary

This study, conducted by Battelle for the Federal Highway Administration, addresses the effectiveness and public perception of posting public service announcements (PSAs) and safety messages on Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) in rural areas. While transportation agencies frequently use DMS for non-traffic purposes, concerns exist that these messages may distract drivers, cause unsafe slowing, or fail to influence behavior. Previous research focused on metropolitan areas; this project aimed to determine if those findings apply to rural corridors, which feature higher speeds, different traffic densities, and a higher proportion of truckers and non-local travelers. The research sought to evaluate traveler awareness, understanding, behavioral changes, and opinions regarding these messages. The methodology employed a mixed experimental design combining short-recall, event-based surveys with retrospective recall. Data were collected via traveler intercept surveys at rest areas, truck stops, and high-volume exits along four rural study corridors: I-70 in Kansas, I-94 in Minnesota/Wisconsin, I-44 in Missouri, and I-80 in Nevada. The study targeted a diverse sample including local residents, tourists, and long-haul truck drivers, aiming for approximately 1,920 completed questionnaires to ensure statistical power. Respondents were asked about their immediate experiences with specific posted safety messages as well as their general history with DMS. Statistical analysis, including odds ratios and confidence limits, was used to test hypotheses regarding awareness, comprehension, behavior modification, and traveler opinions across different demographic and traveler types. The findings indicate high visibility and comprehension of rural DMS messages. Approximately 77% of encountered travelers had seen a DMS, and 79% observed at least one safety-related message. Over 79% correctly interpreted the messages, and 92% found them understandable. Awareness was highest among infrequent travelers and lowest among truckers. Regarding behavior, only 23% of respondents reported changing their driving behavior after seeing a specific study message, though 54% indicated that past DMS safety campaigns had influenced their driving. Crucially, only 18% reported slowing down to read messages, suggesting minimal distraction risk. Traveler opinions were largely positive: 90% deemed the messages appropriate, 71% felt they raised safety awareness, and 73% supported the use of DMS for PSAs. Most respondents also identified DMS as the best method for communicating safety information. The study concludes that displaying safety messages and PSAs on rural DMS is effective and supported by the public. The low rate of behavioral change for specific messages is attributed to already high compliance rates for issues like seatbelt use, while the low incidence of slowing down alleviates concerns about safety hazards. The results validate current agency practices and suggest that frequent display of these messages is not detrimental. The findings provide a basis for improving agency guidelines, confirming that DMS are a valuable tool for safety campaigns in rural environments without significantly impacting traffic flow or driver safety.

Key finding

73 percent of surveyed rural travelers supported the use of dynamic message signs for public service announcements, and 79 percent correctly understood the safety messages displayed.

Methodology

survey

Sample size: 1920

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed. Discovered via bulk_ingest_rosap on 2026-05-23 (6 acquisition events logged).

Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

• public messaging
• external distraction
• signage environment

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation
• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence