Defensive Driving Campaign Launches on Virginia Express Lanes

Transurban North America, operator of the 95, 395, and 495 Express Lanes, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the Virginia State Police (VSP) are partnering to launch an innovative defensive driving safety campaign targeted to motorists traveling along interstates 95, 395, and 495.

The campaign uses messaging that urges motorists to drive defensively due to the hazards posed by other travelers’ unsafe behavior, such as speeding, texting, and aggressive driving. The partnership is using results from an initial pilot campaign initiative aimed at Express Lanes users on I-95 and I-495, which showed that positive changes in motorists’ behavior can be achieved through communicating the risk of other drivers’ actions.

“When drivers are aware of potential risks, they’re more likely to adjust their own behaviors and drive more cautiously,” said DMV Commissioner Gerald Lackey, the Governor’s Highway Safety Representative. “By focusing on the unpredictable actions of others—like speeding or texting—we’re tapping into a mindset that encourages drivers to stay alert and take greater responsibility for safety, which we believe will lead to lasting behavior change across Northern Virginia.”

“If you are getting behind the wheel of a vehicle, your safety and the safety of those around you should be a top priority,” said VDOT Commissioner Stephen C. Brich. “Stay focused on the task at hand, drive the posted speed limit, and pay attention to the motorists around you. Our partnered safety campaign with Transurban, DMV, and VSP is set to remind everyone to do just that.”

The campaign will include radio, digital, and social media advertisements funded by the private partner, Transurban. It will also pilot trial messaging on Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) located on both the general purpose and Express Lanes.

“We know, first hand, the difference driver behavior can make in reducing the number of crashes and fatalities on Virginia’s roadways,” said Lt. Col Matt Hanley, Interim Superintendent of the Virginia State Police. “We encourage all drivers to slow down, limit distractions, and drive defensively so that everyone can get to their destination safely.”

Through the public-private partnership effort, Transurban, VDOT, DMV and VSP are focused on reversing a deadly trend. Motor vehicle crashes were one of the top four leading causes of death from 2015 to 2019 for Virginians between the ages of 5 and 34, according to the Virginia Strategic Highway Safety Plan. In 2023, 23,309 crashes occurred on Virginia interstates resulting in 139 fatalities, according to the DMV.

“Safety is personal to us at Transurban – both as a company with safety at the forefront of our Express Lanes operations and as community members traveling our region’s roadways every day,” said Beau Memory, President, Transurban North America. “That is why together with our partners, Transurban is putting cutting-edge behavioral research to work with the launch of this safety campaign to move this region further towards its Vision Zero goals by promoting a defensive driving mindset.”

A fall 2023 pilot conducted by Transurban found the message “Watch Out for Speeders” on roadway DMS helped decrease speeding along the corridor by about 2%. While seemingly slight, studies have shown that this would equate to an approximate 8% reduction in fatality risk.

A spring 2022 survey of 400 Washington, D.C. regional drivers commissioned by Transurban and conducted by APCO Insight informed the on-road pilot. It found drivers overwhelmingly feel they are safe on the road despite engaging in risky behavior, like texting and speeding, while simultaneously believing others on the road cannot safely drive and engage in those behaviors. Further, advisory sign messages that warned of other drivers’ dangerous behaviors were ranked by motorists as a top reason to improve their own behavior.

Throughout the defensive driving campaign, continued research is anticipated to expand roadway safety knowledge and effectiveness of driver behavior initiatives.

Together, VDOT and Transurban are currently delivering the 495 Express Lanes Northern Extension (495 NEXT) project that will offer new travel options to the millions of customers who travel the Express Lanes network.

For over a dozen years, Transurban has worked alongside the Commonwealth of Virginia to improve the safety of motorists on some of the most heavily-traveled highway corridors in the Washington, D.C., region while constructing complex infrastructure projects.