image001.jpgCarl Webber sends this terrific sign from Epping, New Hampshire and reported in the Manchester Union-Leader.

It’s a classic example of emotionally intelligent signage: It aims to bring compliance with the rule (don’t speed through construction sites) by encouraging empathy on the part of the sign viewer. Added bonus: Some of these signs replace “Dad” with “Mom.”

Meantime, over at his always interesting site, Tom Vanderbilt, author of Traffic, has an fascinating post about — get this — emotionally intelligent bollards.

3 Responses to “Emotionally intelligent signage on the road”

  1. McElroy says:

    Here in Vancouver they have similar signs but they include pictures of the parent standing with the kid(s).

    I think they even go so far as to have another one with a kid crying, or at least looking mighty sad.

    Would be interesting to see how effective these signs are and how much of an impact images add.

  2. Paula Diaco says:

    The concept of emotionally intelligent signage is intriguing. Even where space is a constraint, sign “authors” can choose to communicate an emotional message even if the sign is nothing more than an advertisement.

  3. Kim says:

    WorkSafeBC ran a similar ad campaign here in Vancouver that showed a mom, a contruction zone traffic controller, with her daughter.