Hi Guys,

I just want to see if I am going mad (most likely!).

I spend a lot of my time on motorways to and from work, 68% of my daily commute is on the motorway. and I drive past these orange (advisory) matrix signs so often, day or night I have noticed something...

Sometimes these little signs will "blink" or "flash" orange, more specifically noticable on the roadside, rather than overheads, but I know that its not the light reflecting off them, the LED's light up!

I initially suspected that (and still do) that its the signs self test, to ensure that the LED's are all fully functioning, however there are some days where I drive down (at the speed limit) and nothing - dont see it, dont see them light up at all, yet if I was to inadvertently accelerate beyond the speed limit - I find these things are much more likely to 'blink' at me?

I know its all coincidence and 99% of me says its got to be the self test... but has anyone else noticed this / coincidence? or am I the only one?

I have noticed it...

I think it must just be a self test, or maybe they are turning on... and about to display something...

Guess its one of lifes little mysteries...

I've no idea why they do it, but you're not going mad as I have often noticed this too (unless we both are going mad :o )

I passed one last night that did it... I'm gonna do more digging on this lol!!

I'm pretty sure they blink as the human eye picks up on movement more readily than static things.

It's most likely a way to get you to notice signs you'd normally unconsciously disregard.

but they are off when they do it... i could understand if they were on... But why would a sign thats off, randomly flash to alert you of its prescence lol...

Egotistical signage lol!!

but they are off when they do it... i could understand if they were on... But why would a sign thats off, randomly flash to alert you of its prescence lol...

Egotistical signage lol!!

Ah, probably just a cursor type action as the sign waits for a message to be sent to it.

A self important sign? sounds like the doors on the ship in Hitchikers Guide To The Galaxy. :P

Maybe the signs are beaming subliminal messages directly to our brains.

Remember, just because you're paranoid it doesn't mean that they aren't watching you!!

You're only jealous because the voices are talking to me ;)

What i thought, and im not sure if this is true or not.... But maybe the signage is is flashing when a message gets sent for it to turn on... But of course you never pass that same sign a few minutes later to see if its now displaying 50 or something silly...

Life's full of little mysteries, like why do men have nipples and if i unscrew my belly button will my bum fall off?

Very sorry, long day and little sleep.

Why is there only one monopolies commission?????

lol, I like how this thread has gone... lol, it wouldnt surprise me if they were beaming subliminal messages, I think its a case of telling me to check my speed.... every time I see it, I check my speed, and sometimes find I might have (only marginally) accelerated above the 70mph mark... or maybe a little bit more.... or some more than that...

it does intrigue me, however I cant really say that on the M20 where I see these signs, I have actually not really seen any reason for them to be prepping for a message (for example, havent had to slow down, to calm the traffic, or havent seen an accident / breakdown that would warrant further traffic calkming, nor a lane closure). So who knows...