MANHATTAN — A few weeks ago, high school students in Manhattan installed a solar-powered traffic-safety speed sign on Dry Creek Road to improve road safety in the area.
The project was made possible after the Manhattan chapter received a $5,000 grant from the Montana Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) and the Montana Department of Transportation.
"We needed to focus on speeding since we've had all of those speeding-related deaths in the past few years," said Montana FCCLA president for the Manhattan chapter, Brock Romero.
Romero is from Manhattan, and he's currently a junior at Manhattan High School.
WATCH: "We needed to focus on speeding": High school students install new traffic safety speed sign in Manhattan
He said he felt inspired to install this solar-powered traffic safety speed sign near the elementary school in Manhattan because of speeding in the area.
"There are so many people who pass this area every single day," he said. "We needed to put some attention towards it and make a difference."
According to the Montana Department of Transportation, there were nearly 200 traffic-related fatalities in 2025 throughout Montana.
Romero said since the sign was installed, he's noticed an impact on driving in the area.
"I think it works," he said. "I definitely see people slow down when they see the sign."
The high school student added that he notices the sign every morning during his commute to school.
"When you go past it, a big strobe light flashes at you, and I've seen it happen a lot when I'm driving to school every morning."
Romero hopes the new sign encourages drivers to slow down and focus on the roads.
