Flashing Sign Grabs Drivers’ Attention

Keeping crews safe in highway work zones requires a system for clearly alerting motorists to changing travel conditions. The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT), looking for a way to make the flagger’s job of cautioning motorists less hazardous, decided to test the flashing stop/slow paddle. Developed under the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP), the flashing stop/slow paddle features a flashing high-intensity light incorporated into the stop side of the paddle. If a motorist does not appear to be heeding the flagger’s instructions, the flagger activates the light, which is bright enough to be seen on even the sunniest days.