Popular interstate message program gets new name, moves to Friday
July 1, 2021
Starting a conversation about traffic safety that leads to drivers changing their behavior behind the wheel – that’s always been the goal of the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Message Monday program. Since the inception of the program in August 2013, those thought-provoking sayings that appear on the overhead message boards on interstates and major highways every Monday were developed to help travelers understand the number of fatalities that occur on Iowa’s roads and increase the visibility of traffic safety.
The updated program, now called “Roadside Chat”, will function the same as before, but beginning Friday, July 2, the overhead message boards on the interstates and major highways will be lit from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. every Friday instead of Monday. The program displays the year-to-date roadway fatality count for Iowa, as well as a conversation-starting message related to highway safety. Corresponding social media and blog posts that give a back story to the messages will also be moved to Fridays.