NOTICED
NOTICED SOMETHING FUNNY GOING ON ABOVE
>>>
>>> WELL
>>> WELL IF YOU HAVE TRAVELED TO MINNESOTA HIGHWAY OVER THE
LAST YEAR AND A HALF OR SO, I
BET YOU NOTICED SOMETHING FUNNY
GOING ON ABOVE THE ROAD.
>> AND MAYBE YOU HAVE WONDERED
LIKE WE HAVE WHO RIGHTS THOSE
THINGS.
THINGS.
THINGS. I
THINGS. I KNOW YOU HAVE SEEN THEM,
SPEAKING UP ON YOU LIKE A DAD
JOKE ON YOUR MONDAY MORNING
COMMUTE.
COMMUTE.
COMMUTE. GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR APPS,
HAVE SOME CLASS, STAY OFF MY
BUMPER.
BUMPER.
BUMPER. NOBODY RELISHES A PICKLE
DRIVER, AND THIS PAST MONDAY
AHEAD OF THE BIG JOURNEY
CONCERT COMING TO TOWN THIS
WEEKEND, THIS ONE.
TOWARDS ZERO DEATHS AS A
JOURNEY.
JOURNEY.
JOURNEY. DON'T STOP, BELIEVING.
WELL THAT LAST ONE MADE ME MAKE
A CALL TO MNDOT ON WHO IS DOING
THIS.
THIS.
THIS. I
THIS. I WAS DIRECTED TO THIS WOMAN,
CHRISTINE HERNANDEZ.
CHRISTINE HERNANDEZ. >> WE WANT TO CHANGE THE
CULTURE IN MINNESOTA.
THIS IS ONE WAY TO GET PEOPLE
TO TALK ABOUT TRAFFIC SAFETY,
WHICH ON A TYPICAL DAY IS KIND
OF BORING.
OF BORING. >> Reporter: EVERY MONDAY SINCE
NOVEMBER OF 2016, A TEAM OF
PEOPLE DECIDES WHAT MESSAGE TO
GREET YOU ON MINNESOTA
HIGHWAYS.
HIGHWAYS.
HIGHWAYS. >> THERE IS A PLETHORA OF
PEOPLE ON A COMMITTEE.
IT'S A SECRET MESSAGE MONDAY
COMMITTEE.
COMMITTEE. AND WE PULL IN PEOPLE FROM IOWA
EVEN BECAUSE WE SHARE MESSAGES
WITH OTHER STATES.
>> Reporter: SO THE SECRET,
SECRET COMMITTEE, HOW MANY
PEOPLE ARE ON IT?
>> I THINK THERE'S ABOUT EIGHT
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. >> Reporter: THOSE ELITE EIGHT
CRAFT A MESSAGE FAR SHORTER
THAN A TWEET TO HOOK YOU INTO
THEIR MAIN GOAL, WHICH IS SAFER
DRIVING ON THE ROADS.
HERE'S WHY THEY DID IT.
>> IT'S A WAY TO REACH OUR
TARGET AUDIENCE THAT WE HAVEN'T
BEEN ABLE TO REACH.
THAT IS YOUNG ADULT MALES THAT
TYPICALLY AREN'T WATCHING TV
NEWS, AREN'T READING THE
NEWSPAPER, BUT WE CAN CAPTURE
THEM ON THE ROADWAY.
>> AWE MAN, I'M NOT EVEN YOUR
TARGETED AUDIENCE.
TARGETED AUDIENCE. >> NOPE.
>> NOPE.
>> NOPE. >> Reporter: THEY WANT TO GET
TO THAT AUDIENCE TO GET CLOSER
TO ZERO DEATHS ON THE HIGHWAY.
RIGHT NOW AROUND 350 A YEAR,
THE NEEDLE ISN'T BUDGING.
>> WE HAVE BEEN KIND OF HANGING
AROUND THAT 300, 350 LEVEL.
IT'S LIKE WE NEED TO DO
SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
SOMETHING DIFFERENT. THIS WAS THE SOMETHING
DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT. >> Reporter: MINNESOTA IS ONE
OF NEARLY 40 STATES DOING THIS.
MINNESOTA IN ADDITION TO OUR
SECRET GROUP OF EIGHT, WHO
CRAFT THESE MESSAGES, THEY ARE
TEAMING UP WITH OTHERS ALL OVER
THE COUNTRY FOR EVEN MORE
IDEAS.
IDEAS.
IDEAS. >>
IDEAS. >> AND SO WE HAVE CREATED A
LITTLE WEBSITE, ANOTHER SECRET
PLACE WHERE NO ONE COULD GO,
BUTS.
BUTS.
BUTS. WE
BUTS. WE SHARE MESSAGES AND CONCERNS
OR FEEDBACK ON DIFFERENT
MESSAGES.
MESSAGES.
MESSAGES. >> Reporter: AND THEY WILL KEEP
THEIR TONGUES IN THEIR CHEEKS
AS TO NOT COMPROMISE SAFETY.
>> WE DON'T DO IT DURING THE
DRIVE TIMES, YOU KNOW, RUSH
HOUR TRAFFIC.
HOUR TRAFFIC. IF WE FIND THERE'S HIGH-VOLUME
CORRIDORS THAT WERE CAUSING
BACKUPS, WE'LL TURN THEM ON.
>> FOLKS HAVE INTENDED TO LOVE
THE MONDAY MORNING GREETINGS.
THE SECRET TEAM DOESN'T GET TO
RUN WITH THOSE, THE WHOLE
ORGANIZATION CAN'T QUITE AGROW
ON.
ON.
ON. --
ON. -- AGREE ON, LIKE THIS ONE LEFT
ON THE FLOOR.
>> IT WAS TO SLOW DOWN.
NOPE, THAT ONE, WE DIDN'T GET
BY WITH THAT ONE.
>> Reporter: SO THEY CAME UP
WITH THIS MOE TAME AND LAME
ALTERNATIVE.
ALTERNATIVE. >> DON'T GET BIT BY A TICK IT,
SLOW DOWN.
SLOW DOWN. >> IT'S LIKE COME ON.
>> NOW YOU KNOW, EIGHT SPECIAL
PEOPLE IN THE STATE OF
MINNESOTA COME UP WITH THOSE
THINGS EVERY MONDAY.
>> IT'S NICE TO KNOW THE
GOVERNMENT HAS A SENSE OF HUMOR
SOMETIMES.
SOMETIMES. YOU GET IT, I'M WITH YOU.
MAYBE MORE PEOPLE ARE WILLING
TO LISTEN.
TO LISTEN. I DON'T KNOW, IF THEY HAVE A
RELATIONSHIP WITH MNDOT, THEN I
DON'T KNOW, I LOVE IT.
OTHER STATES ARE DOING THINGS
SIMILAR?
SIMILAR?
SIMILAR? >> ARIZONA IS KIND OF THE GOLD
STANDARD.
STANDARD.
STANDARD. THEY REALLY PUSH IT WITH THEIR
MESSAGES THAT ARE MORE
CONTROVERSIAL.
CONTROVERSIAL. THEY WOULD HAVE GOTTEN AWAY
WITH THAT MOSQUITO ONE.
IOWA ALSO, AND SOMETIMES WE
WILL BE IN TANDEM.
IF YOU'RE COMING THROUGH IOWA
OR MAYBE FROM WISCONSIN, YOU'LL
SEE THE SAME ONES.
THEY WANT YOU TO SEE THE SAME
MESSAGE OVER AND OVER AGAIN TO
REALLY HAMMER IT HOME.
MAYBE IT'LL START THE
CONVERSATION IN THE CAR TO GET
THROUGH