Don't laugh and drive: US cracks down on funny highway warnings

In recent years, motorists across the country have chuckled (or groaned) at the humorous safety messages that have popped up on America's highways.

In Massachusetts there was the inevitable game of Boston accent: “Change lanes?” Use Yah Blinkah.”

The Iowa Department of Transportation tried: “Texting and driving? Oh cell no!”

New Jersey paid tribute to Bruce Springsteen, warn drivers: “Slow down. This isn't Thunder Road.”

But federal officials say some attempts at humor have gone too far and could be distracting or misunderstood.

In the latest edition of the federal highway sign standards, published in DecemberOfficials warned that messages “with obscure or secondary meanings, such as messages with references to popular culture” or messages that are “intended to be humorous” should not be used.

The standards do not impose an outright ban on all humor or pop culture references on highway signs, the Federal Highway Administration said in a statement Wednesday. But they advise officials to avoid messages “that could confuse or distract drivers.”

State and local officials must “use common sense,” the statement said, based on long-standing principles that recommend that highway signs “fill a need; asking for attention; convey a clear, simple message; force respect; and allow sufficient time for a proper response.”

The federal guidelines, reported by The Wall Street Journalwas a blow to state officials who were having fun as comedy writers in an effort to get drivers' attention.

Paul Katool, a spokesman for the Mississippi Department of Transportation, is part of a group of employees who each month come up with ideas for fun highway signs, movies, pop music and upcoming holidays.

One sign that drew widespread attention in Mississippi referenced the lyrics of Taylor Swift's hit song “Anti-Hero”: “Texting and Driving? Say it: I'm the problem. It's me.” Another popular one, Mr. Katool said, referenced the “Star Wars” television show “The Mandalorian,” stating, “Baby Yoda uses the force but still needs a car seat.”

Not every signal is a bull's-eye, Mr Katool acknowledged. When the movie “Barbie” was released last year, the department urged drivers not to text with the message: “Be a doll, use your accessories at home.”

“It was popular,” Mr Katool said. “It wasn't super viral.”

Still, he said, humorous signs are “great conversation starters.”

“There are only so many ways you can say, 'Don't text and drive,'” Mr. Katool said. “People tune you out.”

The Maine Transportation Department held a smart drawing competition which attracted almost 2,000 entries. One of the winners urged motorists to drive slower in winter, stating: “Little known fact: snow is really slippery.”

“By even having this discussion, MaineDOT believes the signs meet its purpose of promoting safety,” Paul Merrill, a department spokesman, said in a statement Wednesday. “We will continue to post and hope that the federal government is willing to have more conversations on this topic.”

a 2020 study commissioned by the Virginia Department of Transportation found that “messages about distracted driving, messages that contain humor, and messages that use puns and rhymes score highly across multiple measures of effectiveness” in promoting safer driving.

The study recommended using light-hearted signs, but targeting the messages more specifically. Signs that use puns and rhymes are more effective than signs that trade in sports or pop culture references, the report said.

But a 2022 study, funded by the Governors Highway Safety Association and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, found that a “significant portion” of drivers did not understand safety messages that contained references to humor, humor or pop culture. That study recommended that highway signs not use humor and that messages be limited to 16 words or numbers.

Richard A. Davey, the president of New York City Transit, said humorous safety messages can “cut through the noise.” When he was secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation in 2014, the “Use Yah Blinkah” message on the highway received a lot of positive attention from Boston drivers and the local news media, he said.

“I think local tastes for safety messages are important,” Mr Davey said. “What works in Wyoming will be different in Massachusetts.”

New Jersey has a tradition of using humorous signs like, “We'll be blunt, don't drive too high” and “Get your head out of your apps.” However, the state has been warned by federal officials that such messages can be distracting.

“Our goal is always to bring attention to safety and that's what these signs are about,” said Steve Schapiro, a spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Transportation. “It's about making sure people read them, remember them and drive safely.”

Still, he said New Jersey would follow federal guidelines and “be mindful of the types of messages we put out and keep them safe.”