National Highways has introduced a new approach to variable message signs (VMS), with ‘customer friendly’ messaging.
In September last year, the government-owned company issued Guidance for using Electronic Boards for Roadworks (EBRW), which covers the use of VMS to display messages that are not covered by The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016.
In October, SRL Traffic Systems, in collaboration with National Highways and Kier, installed new signs in a contraflow section of the A417 Missing Link project, including the message: ‘Working even out of view’.
SRL said a review has significantly increased understanding of the changes and that industry research has shown that messages which can be read within four seconds are better for road users.
It said the guidelines drive design and compliance improvements by ensuring:
- enhanced visibility
- alignment with national guidelines
- safe positioning within the work zone
- placement away from critical decision points
- no interference with directional signage
- minimal distractions for drivers.
The guidance notes that National Highways has run messages on electronic billboards (EBBs) that were developed to test the impact of ‘customer friendly’ messaging and explain why roadworks were taking place and to provide information at 'no visible activity’ sites.
It adds: ‘Customer insight tells us that road users are often frustrated when they drive through road works and do not see any visible activity taking place. The National Road User Satisfaction Survey 2016/2017 revealed... [that] When users travelled through road works, they saw visible activity on only 37% of journeys’.
Four messages were initially approved: ‘Road cones slow zone’; ‘Slow keeps us safe’; ‘Lower speeds keep workers safe’; and ‘Working day & night’. The guidance notes that teams within National Highways may also develop their own messages.
The guidance states that all EBRW messages assume an electronic sign face size capable of displaying at least eight characters per line on a minimum of three lines, a maximum of six units of information, (normally individual words), giving a maximum reading time of four seconds (with most being 3-3.5 seconds).
The new VMS is designed to look different from VMS signs displaying traffic messages, including a blue-framed VMS unit, for non-regulatory messages, ‘allowing it to use them more as electronic billboards than traditional variable message signs’.
National Highways project manager Nick Nandhra said: ‘These new signs mark a significant advancement in our goal to enhance road user experiences. Clear communication during roadworks is crucial, and we’re excited to set a new standard in road messaging and launch these signs for the first time.’
The new approach to messaging has been in the pipeline for some time. In July 2022, National Highways said that during 2022-23 it would ‘deliver customer-focused messages using electronic billboards’, including explaining ‘why drivers may not see people physically working on the road all the time’.
A spokesperson for the company explained that this was a reference to a trial on the M42/M40 improvement scheme, where a delay to the scheme put back the trial to March 2023.
With the trials now complete, the billboard used in October represented the first ‘business as usual’ implementation of the customer-focused messages on a scheme.
Caroline Weller, VMS manager at SRL Traffic Systems said: ‘As the first scheme implementing this standard, we’re thrilled to showcase a modern, customer-focused approach to traffic management.’
Kier project director Gavin Jones said: ‘The A417 Missing Link team are very pleased to have worked with National Highways and SRL on this initiative, and to be the first project to deploy the new signs.’
