No joke: Feds are banning humorous electronic messages on highways

Channel 3000 News/AP ^ | January 15, 2024 | AP Staff

[Diana in Wisconsin]

It’s no joke. Humorous and quirky messages on electronic signs will soon disappear from highways and freeways across the country.

The U.S. Federal Highway Administration has given states two years to implement all the changes outlined in its new 1,100-page manual released last month, including rules that spells out how signs and other traffic control devices are regulated.

Administration officials said overhead electronic signs with obscure meanings, references to pop culture or those intended to be funny will be banned in 2026 because they can be misunderstood or distracting to drivers.

The agency, which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, said signs should be “simple, direct, brief, legible and clear” and only be used for important information such as warning drivers of crashes ahead, adverse weather conditions and traffic delays. Seatbelt reminders and warnings about the dangers of speeding or driving impaired are also allowed.

Among those that will be disappearing are messages such as “Use Yah Blinkah” in Massachusetts; “Visiting in-laws? Slow down, get there late,” from Ohio; “Don’t drive Star Spangled Hammered,” from Pennsylvania; “Hocus pocus, drive with focus” from New Jersey; and “Hands on the wheel, not your meal” from Arizona.

Arizona has more than 300 electronic signs above its highways. For the last seven years, the state Department of Transportation has held a contest to find the funniest and most creative messages.

Anyone could submit ideas, drawing more than 3,700 entries last year. The winners were “Seatbelts always pass a vibe check” and “I’m just a sign asking drivers to use turn signals.”

“The humor part of it, we kind of like,” said state Rep. David Cook, a Republican from Globe, told Phoenix TV station CBS 5. “I think in Arizona the majority of us do, if not all of us."

[9YearLurker]

As if that weren’t a sufficiently annoying phrase to start with!

[Ikeon]

A bumorless wanker got offended and instead of telling them to pound sand the government sticks it own head up its ass and contorts until the wanker stops whining...

we should have never gotten rid of bullies in school.

too many snowflakes never got corrected as 10 year olds and now we have a country full of self absorbed 10y.o's in adult bodies.

I'm actually righteously offended by these butt hurt karens and ken

[EvilCapitalist]

Lol!

[ptsal]

Bkmk

[Diana in Wisconsin]

The older I get, the more important it is to know where the next exit is to a bathroom, though.

Those should be standard, LOL!

[Paladin2]

Gov’t wants sign to read:

“Vote Bixiden!

Or we shut you down”

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I’ll bet you’re a lot of fun at parties. ;)

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Here's my favorite that I used to see on Massachusetts highways (when I lived there):

[Lazamataz]

[Lazamataz]

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Wisconsin really IS closed this week; it’s SIXTEEN BELOW!

[Paladin2]

“the federal government regulates the signage at every entrance to every factory in the US”

Arbeit Macht Frei?

[Lazamataz]

[Lazamataz]

[Lazamataz]

[Lazamataz]

[Lazamataz]

[EvilCapitalist]

That one had to be written by Bill Clinton.

[Lazamataz]

[I want the USA back]

Totalitarian states do not tolerate humor! You will obey!