New LED Signs Help Keep Minnesota Roads Safer

The rain we’ve gotten the last day or so has been welcomed by most people, we needed the water to help in so many areas around Minnesota.  

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But it does make things a bit messy. If you have a dirt or gravel driveaway, you’ll likely have to take your shoes off at the door, so you don’t bring the outside in with you on the bottom of your shoe. 

The rain also can make things a bit challenging on the roads. The water on the roads can make stopping tricky, and of course hydroplaning is something we all need to be careful of as well. 

The rain can also make visibility tricky as well. Depending on how hard the rain is falling, even if you are familiar with an area, it can look unfamiliar in a hurry.  

Be On The Lookout For The Blinking Lights!

The Minnesota Department of Transportation began something last week near Willmar to help drivers in that area out. MnDOT has added solar powered LED Chevron signs in that area to help drivers be aware they are approaching a curve. 

The Chevron signs are used to indicate to drivers the road ahead isn’t going to be straight. In some cases, these signs are used to indicate a significant bend in the road.  

The solar powered LED lights attached to the sign can flash when traffic approaches the area. The lights can also be set to a certain schedule or can flash all the time.  

Storing Up For A Cloudy Day!

MnDOT says that even on cloudy days there are rechargeable batteries in the LED lights that will allow the lights to flash even with no sunshine.  

If these are deemed successful, we may see more of these type of signs around the state in the future if you haven't seen them already.