3M’s Transportation Safety Division has announced the launch of a near 50-city North American roadshow through the USA and Canada to showcase its road safety technology and innovation.
The Transportation Safety Roadshow will offer interactive experiences featuring hands-on, in-person, and virtual demonstrations of innovative 3M technologies, such as reflective signage, license plates, and wet-reflective pavement markings, in a custom designed 18-wheel, 53ft (16m) semi-truck and trailer unit.
Beginning in San Antonio, Texas, the 3M Roadshow will highlight the importance of improving safety for drivers, pedestrians and road workers, as well as where transportation infrastructure is headed. As a leader in road infrastructure technologies, 3M aims to increase awareness and understanding of the applications needed to help better protect motorists today, as well as prepare for the autonomous vehicles of the future.
The Roadshow Truck is loaded with interactive demonstrations and experiences from 3M’s Transportation Safety Division, including:
• Anti-Graffiti treatments that can keep signs clear and legible;
• Fluorescent Technology, including paints, treatments and materials that enhance the visibility of signs at dawn and dusk and in inclement weather conditions;
• Virtual Reality systems that allow users to experience the possibilities of how autonomous vehicles interact with traffic signs, work zones and lane markings;
• Innovation Theater, to watch demonstrations on 3M technology from the driver’s seat;
• Custom Sign Creation, to digitally print personal signs with 3M technology.
A partner in the USA’s Toward Zero Deaths campaign, 3M is committed to increasing the safety and mobility of the country’s highways and roadways. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2016 alone, more than 37,000 people died on the USA’s roadways, a 5.6% increase from 2015.
The 3M Transportation Safety Division develops technologies that improve the driver experience and help to prevent accidents and fatalities that occur because of weather, work zones, poor visibility and limited infrastructure.
“We have been committed to making roads as safe as possible for almost 80 years,” said John Riccardi, vice president and general manager of 3M’s Transportation Safety Division. “Our Roadshow tour will present innovative roadway and vehicle solutions to many of the problems that drivers face, such as reduced visibility due to inclement weather and night-time driving, and the hazards encountered in work zones. The existing and future technologies showcased help make the driving experience safer for everyone.”
