Sign of the times: 'Stop' gets flashy to attract attention

By Michael Winter on www.usatoday.com - August 30, 2010

As more drivers are increasingly distracted by their high-tech gadgets, the low-tech stop sign is going electric to attract more attention. Kansas City has installed some of the flashy signs, The Kansas City Star writes.

The familiar red-and-white octagons are outlined with eight LED bulbs that flash in unison about once a second. They're solar powered and cost $1,750 each. So far KC has put the new signs at three intersections with "sign-running problems," including one near the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

"People know what to do at a stop sign. That's not the issue," said John D. Lee, an engineering professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an expert in driver distraction. "It's 'Did you notice the stop sign?'

"You might not notice if you're texting, for example, or if you're worried about the cyclist riding next to you. The LED lights help to distribute your attention to the critical thing in the environment."

In addition to texting, add talking on cellphone, changing the music, staring at your dashboard GPS, yelling at the kids or fumbling with hot coffee.

Earlier this month USA TODAY's Mike Chalmers wrote about new signals to make pedestrians and bicyclists safer from speeding, inattentive or inconsiderate drivers.