MassDOT Signs Remind Commuters To 'Use Yah Blinkah'
BOSTON (CBS) - The Massachusetts Department of Transportation was apparently having some fun with a gentle reminder to Friday morning commuters.
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Highway signs around Boston incorporated the local vernacular into their safe driving message.
The first page of the signs read, "Changing Lanes?"
They were followed by, "Use Yah Blinkah"
For those reading this who may not be familiar with the Boston dialect, residents have a reputation for dropping the R's at the end of words.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Mark Katic reports
And "blinker" is how most locals refer to a directional turn signal.
MassDOT says the message will be up throughout the weekend.
"We run these public safety messages like this and others all of the time and they become somewhat of the wallpaper and people look at them, but don't actually notice them," state highway administrator Frank DePaola told WBZ NewsRadio 1030 Friday.
"So, we think that by changing some of the graphics, changing some of the language, it gets people's attention."
DePaola said they are getting a good response to the signs and want highway workers to come up with more suggestions. Eventually they'll take ideas from the public on their website.
Failure to use a 'blinkah' when changing lanes is a ticketable offense in Massachusetts.
Here are the numbers on citations issued for Failure to Signal violations over the past five years in Massachusetts as provided by Mass. DOT:
2009- 6,382
2010- 5,457
2011- 4,556
2012- 4,359
2013- 4,967
Through March 2014- 1,083
Of the total above, the following were issued by Massachusetts State Police:
2009- 3,234
2010- 2,677
2011- 2,250
2012- 2,934
2013- 2,670
Through March 2014- 510
Under state law, "in the event electrical or mechanical signals are not operating or not provided on the vehicle," hand and arm signals are also acceptable.
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