Sunshine Matters

This week, the four Official Florida Welcome Centers located at I-10, I-75, I-95 and US-231 are not only sharing Florida vacation planning information with the nearly 40,000 visitors who will stop in, but are also raising awareness for roadway safety issues.  Known across the country as “Go Orange” Week, VISIT FLORIDA’s Welcome Center staff have partnered with the Florida Department of Transportation, the Florida Public Safety Institute, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers and other state and local organizations for this annual campaign to remind motorists about the importance of safe driving on Florida’s roadways.

VISIT FLORIDA’s Welcome Center staff have worked meticulously to demonstrate their “Go Orange” spirit –from displays visible the moment visitors park outside and are greeted with orange cones and construction markers, to the entrance lobbies decorated with construction and traffic signs.  Many of the staff are dressed in orange vests and hardhats, while Crash Test Dummies greet visitors with an abundant supply of traffic safety literature. Although each Florida Welcome Center has created its own theme, they are all rallying together to support the overall message to remind motorists to drive carefully.

The safety issues being emphasized during the “Go Orange” campaign are: “Slow Down for the Cone” – construction workers; “Move Over, It’s the Law” – police officers and emergency vehicles; “Over the Limit, Under Arrest” – fighting DUI; and “Buckle Up for Safety” – wearing seatbelts and using car seats properly.  Many interactive displays are taking place at the  Welcome Centers that visitors can participate in, including child seat safety demonstrations, car crash scene simulations, Florida Highway Patrol rollover simulators that show the effects of not wearing your safety belt, work zone trucks and police vehicles they can sit in, and even Fatal Vision Goggles (as demonstrated in the photo above) which let visitors see how their vision is impaired by drinking alcohol.

The most important message Welcome Center staff hope visitors learn from the week-long campaign is that safety is in everyone’s hands and that we are all personally accountable for our own actions.  Many of the visitors have commented on how powerful the displays are and how much they appreciate the effort being taken to get the message across.  There have even been visitors who’ve said they work in highway construction or roadside assistance in their home states and understand the dangers first-hand.

Remember to drive safely as you travel through the Sunshine State, and be sure to stop by one of our Official Florida Welcome Centers to join in the activities before the week-long campaign ends.