Anyone who has been driving through Assen lately has probably noticed: traffic signs with funny, yet compelling messages. The signs were placed by construction company BAM in collaboration with the municipality of Assen.
An official traffic sign, or at least that’s what it looks like on Beilerstraat in Assen. Near the RTV Drenthe building there is a sign with the text: Only creeping traffic. No cut-through traffic!.
A little further on there is a sign that reads: Racing on the TT Circuit. Not here!. Previously, that sign stood on the Port Natalweg, near the Overcingel tunnel.
“These signs were placed (and paid for) in April by the BAM in connection with complaints from the vicinity of the Overcingel tunnel, due to a lot of cut-through traffic. Of course, with the approval of the municipality,” the municipality explains.
Mandy Woltjer from BAM confirms this. “There is a lot of nuisance from cut-through traffic and motorists who drive too fast in a number of streets around the closed Overcingel tunnel. That is why we have placed these signs.” The sign is now in Beilerstraat.
Besides the two signs, there are no other signs in the provincial capital. “There are two signs, they rotate twice a week in terms of location around the Overcingel tunnel. The signs are temporary and will disappear when the tunnel opens again and cut-through traffic decreases.”
The contractor expects to complete the work around the Overcingel tunnel this month at the latest. At least before the start of the TT.
According to Woltjers, the texts were jointly devised by the municipality of Assen and BAM. The question is whether cut-through traffic actually decreases due to the texts.
Traffic psychologist Cees Wildervanck understands why the signs are placed, but also has his doubts about it. “Let me first say that a sign with funny information results in a positive attitude of the road user. However, a positive attitude does not guarantee good behavior,” Wildervanck explains.
In addition, he is not very enthusiastic about the sign with the text about cut-through traffic. “It’s a play on words and that’s why you have to read the text completely to understand the message. I’m even afraid you have to turn around to understand it,” the psychologist says, laughing. “It’s a shame, though, because the seriousness of the message is lost because of the joke.”
Furthermore, according to Wildervanck, there is too little information on the sign about what road users now need to change, something that he believes is crucial. “There is nothing extra motivating on this sign, a requirement for these types of signs is that there is a behavioral motivation.”
According to him, how this should be done has to do with three factors. “The sign must be visible, legible and understandable. This can best be done very briefly in telegram style and by distributing the message along the road.”