Join Club

Electronic Sign Shows Seemingly Obvious Message

Electronic sign at Washington Blvd and Route 50 (photo courtesy @CruiseInDeCarr)An electronic sign the Arlington County Police Department stationed at Washington Boulevard and Route 50 is raising some eyebrows. Not because the message it displays is risqué, but rather because it seems so obvious.

The sign has been programmed to display the phrase “don’t hit the car in front of you.” The message has drawn national media attention, with the likes of Fox News and The Blaze picking up the story.

Earlier this month, @CruiseInDeCarr tweeted a photo of the sign to ARLnow.com, adding: “You wouldn’t think we’d need a sign for this.” While that may be the logical assumption, it appears drivers haven’t heeded the obvious advice, considering that intersection came in as the top area for motor vehicle accidents in Arlington during the second quarter of 2013. During that time period, police responded to 11 accidents at the site, nearly all of them rear-end collisions.

The ACPD believes the sign has caught drivers’ attention due to the simplicity of the wording.

“The current message was an attempt to simplify the message to reduce the amount of accidents as much as possible,” said ACPD spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. “It’s intended to have a positive effect in terms of reducing the number of accidents because that site has been identified as a top accident location in Arlington. As long as people are paying attention, it [the sign] may affect their driving behavior.”

The sign is one of four the ACPD purchased from 2004-2006. It cost around $16,000, with about half of the cost being covered by grant money from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. All the messages displayed on the boards rotate and are changed after two months. Previous messages included “high accident area ahead”, “no merge area”, “safety is no accident” and “maintain safe following distance.”

The signs are mounted on trailers that can be moved around the county to warn drivers of construction zones, inform them of traffic safety campaigns or alert them to special events. The ACPD says the signs operate on deep cycle 12 volt batteries and the necessary maintenance is minimal.

Photo courtesy @CruiseInDeCarr

Recent Stories

Good Friday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar. 🕗 News recap The following articles were published earlier today…

An explosives detection K-9 celebrated his retirement at Reagan National Airport today. Messi, an 8-year-old yellow lab, was feted this morning in the historic Terminal 1 lobby with a surprise…

Walk to Lee Heights shops from 1930s Tudor on beautiful terraced lot

Arlington’s response team for people in mental health and substance use crises is on track for a substantial buildout. An additional $478,286 in federal funds would allow Arlington to hire…

The Award is available to recent high school graduates and non-traditional students (see the application for more details). Each recipient may be awarded up to $20,000. Applicants are required to submit an online application form as well as a short video application.

The applicant must be an Arlington resident pursuing a career or technical education accredited program, within a high-growth career, that will be completed within two years.

The careers and programs include, but are not limited to:

  • Audio, Video, and Sound Engineering Technicians

  • Broadcast Technicians

  • Commercial Drivers

  • Culinary Arts

  • Early Childcare Education

  • Healthcare

  • Information Technology and Computer Science

  • Manufacturing and Skilled Trades (including welding, auto and aviation mechanics and technicians)

  • Public Safety

Read More

Submit your own Announcement here.

Unlike our competitors, Well-Paid Maids doesn’t clean your home with harsh chemicals. Instead, we handpick cleaning products rated “safest” by the Environmental Working Group, the leading rating organization regarding product safety.

The reason is threefold.

First, using safe cleaning products ensures toxic chemicals won’t leak into waterways or harm wildlife if disposed of improperly.

Second, it’s better for you and your family. Fragrant chemicals in surface cleaners can expose you to a similar amount of pollutant particles as a busy city road, New Scientist reported.

Read More

Submit your own Announcement here.

ACFCU’s Free Homebuying 101 Webinar: Steps to Getting Pre-Approved

Are you ready to jump into homeownership, or have you started considering it but don’t know where to start?

Financial preparation is key when thinking about purchasing your first home and the first step to getting pre-approved. Join ACFCU for

Sweeney Todd

A victim of a gross injustice that robbed him of his wife and child, Sweeney Todd sets about exacting a terrible revenge on society.

×

Subscribe to our mailing list