Idaho’s Electronic Signs Promote Safe Driving
Idaho’s electronic message boards will be offering new messages to drivers who take to the road. While the signs are often left blank, the Idaho Transportation Department has decided to place messages that encourage safer driving practices on the boards. According to Local 8 News, the boards have been used to alert drivers to changes in traffic conditions and potential road hazards as well as to post Amber Alerts. Now, when the signs are not in use, the Idaho Transportation Department will use them to promote safe driving practices.
One of the major messages planned is the statement: “Your family would miss you, please slow down.” The messages will be tested over the summer for their efficacy to determine whether the signs actually will make roads safer.
Creative signage has been used in other states to prevent car accidents. For instance, in Salt Lake City, KSL reports that Utah’s Department of Transportation has planned to use creative signs on its 100 deadliest days. One of the safety messages used was: “That seatbelt looks good on you.”
The messages are designed to employ both humor and seriousness to get people thinking about driving safety, particularly during the dangerous summer months. Utah has also taken to posting the number of days each week that were death free. Last week, for instance, only four out of seven days passed in which no one died on Utah’s roads.
Personal injuries and deaths occur far too frequently on Idaho’s roads. Car accidents cost victims and their families billions of dollars each year. Furthermore, car accidents are the leading cause of death and disability for Idahoans under the age of 34. Aggressive driving alone costs the citizens of Idaho more than one billion dollars each year. Distracted driving cost citizens over $800 million in 2008 alone.
Awareness is certainly one way to prevent aggressive and negligent driving. Unfortunately, accidents take place every year and victims and their families often face high medical expenses, lost time at work, and pain and suffering. Aggressive driving, distracted driving, and impaired driving are never acceptable. The law affords victims the right to seek compensation for expenses incurred from negligent parties. Seeking a skilled personal injury lawyer in Meridian or Boise, Idaho can help ensure that you receive the justice and the compensation you deserve following a car accident.
While Idaho’s sign campaign will likely start a dialogue about safe driving, personal injury cases are also important in the continuation of that dialogue. When negligent parties are held accountable for their actions, it becomes less likely that they will engage in similar negligent or destructive behavior in the future. Lawsuits not only protect victims, but offer a financial deterrent to risky behavior like aggressive driving, distracted driving, or impaired driving. The Law Office of Johnson & Lundgreen is a team of personal injury attorneys in Meridian and Boise, Idaho who are committed to ensuring that victims and their families receive justice for their injuries and receive compensation for their losses following an accident.
