No Joke: Feds Are Banning Humorous Electronic Messages On Highways (apnews.com) 85
schwit1 writes: 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.
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.
Wut (Score:5, Insightful)
Feds: "Highway safety signs that are humorous and memorable are too dangerous to allow"
Also feds: "Oh your state wants to line the death-road with 500 million billboards filled with humorous and memorable advertisements? That's fine."
Re:Wut (Score:5, Insightful)
In fact I would say getting the eyes of drivers off the road is the primary design requirement of a commercial billboard.
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You do know the difference between a government sign to display safety notices such as road closures or accidents, and a sign put up by a private company to advertise, don't you?
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No, I don't. Explain it to me. Be sure to include an analysis of highway safety and make it at least 1000 words.
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There is a difference. Humor and jokes have no place on the safety notice boards above the highway and those should not distract drivers unless the message is urgent. What gets put on the side of the road is only lightly controlled by the government and the government doesn't have much control over
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>There is a difference. Humor and jokes have no place on the safety notice boards above the highway and those should not distract drivers unless the message is urgent.
Obvious counterpoint: adding humor in messages makes people reflect on their content more, and therefore the safety message gets more taken to heart.
>What gets put on the side of the road is only lightly controlled by the government and the government doesn't have much control over them, nor should it.
Places that allow billboards have ci
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Places that allow billboards have city, county, and state approval, especially if it's in view of a highway. https://www.quora.com/I-own-a- [quora.com]... [quora.com]
That's referencing getting started with a brand new billboard. I all likelihood, a few companies own all the billboards as they have leased the ground from the owner and have worked with the state/county/local to get all the permits, with some caveats being in the contracts, like no profanity, no nudity (breasts, ass, and genitals most likely, since I've seen many for strip clubs in the i-80 tri-state corridor), and that's probably about it. I am fairly certain that if I wanted to advertise my consulting
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What real difference is there in the effect on the drivers? Companies don't get to do hazardous shit just because they're compan- Oh wait, it's America. Never mind.
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When a CMS is used to display a traffic safety campaign, the message should be simple, direct, brief, legible, and clear (see Section 1D.01). Traffic safety campaign messages should be relevant to the road user on the roadway on which the message is displayed. For example, messages regarding school bus stop safety should not be displayed on freeways where school bus stops are not found.
A CMS should not be used to display a traffic safety campaign message if doing so could adversely affect respect for the sign. Messages with obscure or secondary meanings, such as those with popular culture references, unconventional sign legend syntax, or that are intended to be humorous, should not be used as they might be misunderstood or understood only by a limited segment of road users and require greater time to process and understand. Similarly, slogan-type messages and the display of statistical information should not be used.
So in summary, these specific traffic messages should not be humorous. This is not for all signs. This is not for billboards. This is not for all messages. I also do not think this only applies to federal roads. A
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I didn't say it's for all signs or all billboards. I'm aware of what type of signage this applies to.
Do you know what a billboard is, what they look like, and what their purpose is? Have you driven on highways that have billboards?
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No, I don't know what a billboard looks like. I did a few years ago, but a bunch of new designs have appeared, and I don't know them all. One recently looked like a hot air balloon.
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I didn't say it's for all signs or all billboards. I'm aware of what type of signage this applies to.
And I did not say otherwise. I am clarifying exactly what situation the directive applies.
Do you know what a billboard is, what they look like, and what their purpose is?
Why would you even ask that question? They are everywhere. While they are not as common as they once have been, they still exist.
Have you driven on highways that have billboards?
Every day I drive. Every single day. Why is it you assume someone does not know what a billboard looks like?
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>Why would you even ask that question? They are everywhere. While they are not as common as they once have been, they still exist. Every day I drive. Every single day. Why is it you assume someone does not know what a billboard looks like?
There are numerous states and local areas where billboards next to highways are illegal
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The difference is as a driver, I don't pay attention to billboards. My passengers are free to. But as a driver, I pay attention to road signs, because they might require me to adapt my driving.
Your little joke is my attention being diverted trying to get important information, only to end up being distracted instead.
Leave it to the Internet to not understand the simple distinction.
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>The difference is as a driver, I don't pay attention to billboards.
Billions of corporate dollars ensure that you do. You glance at them, same as you do road signs.
They're illuminated, bright, flashy, attention-grabbing. Purposefully designed to make you glance at them.
>Leave it to the Internet to not understand the simple distinction.
Leave it to you to lie for the sake of an anonymous Internet argument.
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> Billions of corporate dollars ensure that you do.
There's nothing their money can do to make me divert my attention to their billboards. Literally they could spend trillion, when I'm driving, I'm driving, I couldn't care less about the billboards.
But I will ALWAYS turn my head to read a road sign. Because Road signs are fucking important. So if I do so only to read a joke, then the person who put it there should be fired.
It's really not a hard concept to understand if you've ever driven a car at all.
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The amount of unawareness in your comment is hilarious. I'd bet my next paycheck that both of those statements are false.
You often glance at billboards. You don't read every road sign. Don't think you're some paragon of driving virtue. You're like those people that say "actually, advertisements don't work on me."
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The problem with the humorous messages on electronic signs is that they *change* all the time, often too fast for people to read, but people want to read them, so then they're watching the stupid sign for the message to come back, instead of, you know, watching where they're driving.
Honestly the correct solution is to disallow electronic signs that change more often than once a minute on roads with a speed limit above some cutoff
Is this a thing? (Score:3, Insightful)
"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."
Has this ever happened? I can't recall any instance of a highway accident due to a funny sign.
I don't mind removing these if it's an actual problem, I just don't remember ever hearing it is. If anything, this sounds like some random bureaucrat's war on fun.
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"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."
Has this ever happened? I can't recall any instance of a highway accident due to a funny sign. I don't mind removing these if it's an actual problem, I just don't remember ever hearing it is. If anything, this sounds like some random bureaucrat's war on fun.
The immediate image in my mind was an older person with a robe frowning as they say, "You say the commoners find this amusing? We must put an end to it."
Aside from a mild chuckle, I don't recall ever having any reaction to the few humorous messages I've seen on electronic signage. Would it be better if it were advertising how great smoking and drinking is? There's a lot of those out there along the highways.
EVERYONE PANIC! (Score:1)
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If anything, this sounds like some random bureaucrat's war on fun.
While yes, this does take away any ability to be humorous, these signs are supposed to provide something akin to useful information. What this is probably trying to do is head off the folks who think it would be funny to hack one of these signs and put up something funny such as, "Watch Your Wallet Orange Troll Ahead" when a certain criminal is in town. To you and I that might be funny even if it takes us a few moments to understand the me
Re: Is this a thing? (Score:2)
Has this ever happened? I can't recall any instance of a highway accident due to a funny sign.
Maybe not directly. But if you write a message warning motorists of construction or weather hazards in a humorous way there will be people trying to take pictures of it with their smartphone while they are driving so they can share it with friends or post it on Reddit.
People likely don't tell the truth of what happened if they get in an accident doing it.
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Search the net -- there's a practice of hacking unsecured signs to warn about zombies.
TEXIT NOW (Score:2)
This sounds like a 9th / 10th violation.
No reason for them to micromanage on the state level for things like this.
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Same old same old, they're not telling states what to do, but they don't have to give them federal highway money if they don't comply.
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But the IRS will still, at the point of a gun if necessary, take tax money from the residents of the states which chose to eschew federal funds because the voters in that state believe that the federal requirements are ill advised.
So, it's really not the "free choice" you make it out to be.
Suppose that the federal government announced they would withhold medicaid funds from any state that didn't ban abortions? Would you be good with that also?
Be careful for what you wish for.
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I'm having a really hard time seeing where I did more than state the situation as it has been for a long time, and the only "free choice" implied was that the Feds can choose not to give out the funds. Nothing said about wishing for or being good with anything.
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Well, that works for me.
Stop taking that money from us and not giving it back. Two can play that game.
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I know exactly what signs they're talking about.
I fix them.
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Re: TEXIT NOW (Score:2)
Those signs are... (Score:3)
...almost never useful
They are a result of sign companies lobbying and possibly bribing state highway departments to make a sale
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...almost never useful
They are a result of sign companies lobbying and possibly bribing state highway departments to make a sale
I think this is more of an issue with where you live, here in the UK they often display useful information like "congestion near J12" or "Lane 1 closed in 1.5 miles". The odd humourous message makes it through (like the "blowy as fuck" sign on the Forth Bridge) but we do have our own fun police here, the ones that removed the "Give Peas a Chance" graffiti over the M25.
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Sure maybe they made the sale to put up the signs a long time ago but that's not really relevant now. The value of their content is entirely up to the users and our state seems to use them fairly well:
* Accident / Road Closure / etc warnings far enough ahead you can actually adjust your route.
* Amber Alerts / Silver Alerts
* EBS type alerts
The funny ones are all the public service announcements ala "Buckle Up", "Don't Drink And Drive", "Put ya dam cell phone down", "Drive slower" which you can totally argue
O rly? (Score:2)
"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"
But massive, animated, illuminated, acres and acres of ADVERTISING...not distracting at all?
Yeah, let's be clear who and what is in charge of policy here. And it's not for the "public" benefit.
bunch of criminals playing with their rulebook (Score:1)
The FHWA, now run by a former lobbyist [wikipedia.org], has done nothing good for America. This is the organization we have to thank for miles and miles of suburbia, the absolute impossibility of making useful and engaging neighborhoods/busine
This is a good idea (Score:2)
The first time I saw an overhead electronic sign with "Click it or ticket" I started laughing so hard that I almost lost control of my car and crashed.
yup (Score:1)
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We've had distracted driving laws in almost every state for decades. (Which would also include texting while driving, laughing while driving, etc.)
VR car windows, coming soon (Score:2)
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Self driving cars (Score:2)
No sense of humor (Score:5, Funny)
The lack of a sense of humor is one of the warning signs of an authoritarian regime. Just saying.
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While that statement is correct, this is one area in which humor is inappropriate. And occasionally deadly. So deploy the humor elsewhere.
N.B.: There are many such areas. They occur where decisions need to be made quickly with minimum chance of misunderstanding and the consequences of error are significant.
Re:No sense of humor (Score:5, Informative)
If anything they might make me think a bit about the message, v. just tuning out on something like "Maintain a safe following distance":
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Ok... then let's ban highway advertising billboards too (please?), and pretty landscapes, flowers, beaches, trees, birds, deer, the Sun, the Moon... You get my drift.
When I'm driving it's *my* responsibility to not be distracted by things to a degree that would make my driving unsafe, that includes whatever is going on inside my head, inside the vehicle, or outside.
I'd probably agree that messages funded by taxpayer money should mostly stick to "just the facts", e.g. "Slippery Road Ahead!" but c'mon, if som
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In California they often post "Don't drink and drive, make it home alive." It's a silly pun, but honestly it's easier to remember and easier to make a good decision, ie to have one less drink before you head home, than being scolded by "Driving drunk is against the law."
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They would HATE this... (Score:5, Funny)
Here in Edmonton, we have a large ring road that took a long, long time to complete. There was a minor kerfuffle when somebody did this:
https://nationalpost.com/news/... [nationalpost.com]
I loved it. Some delicate little snowflakes, not so much...
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Those signs are easy to hack. Default password.
On the way home form work someone changed it to "Zombies Ahead" Then a few weeks later - "Entering Oz"
Rumor has it that for a while it said - "Drug Check Ahead" Cars were stopping and trying to turn around even with a big ditch in the road.
Then the construction was over and no more fun & games.
Still like Zombies Ahead.
Good (Score:1)
It's not the worst thing (Score:2)
A totalitarian move (Score:2)
Now, if they would ban the signs, that would be something else. But specifically banning jokes is something typically done in dictatorships so people cannot make fun of the dictator. Come to think of, the US is just one step removed from a dictatorship now.
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No, we are many steps away from despotism. Trump winning the primary today is just 1 step towards that.
Seriously, I enjoy the amusing posts on the signs but I am just fine with them removing the fun. It's a traffic sign with a purpose and extra shit is not necessary when people need to read the things and pay attention. Fun things should be encouraged elsewhere.
Think about how nuts people get over just a few 100 people dying. Traffic deaths in the USA are easily 40k.
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No, we are many steps away from despotism.
Yep, keep telling yourself that. Good luck with that approach. Here is a hint: Hitler got democratically elected with just 36% of the votes (all other parties had less) and formed a minority government that gave him enough power to take over. Think the US is more resilient? Think again. Obviously, Hitler was much smarter than Trump (who is basically a half-wit) but in both cases it is the team of helpers and useful idiots that really makes all the difference.
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The USA almost fell to despotism during FDR; we almost had a coup and dodged that bullet. I'm not saying we are generations from despotism; it'll happen within a few years IF WE DO NOTHING; otherwise, we may delay it for another century.
Rome took 300+ years to fall. The USA will go so much faster... Like then, people will debate just when the turning point began and what is the exact moment of death. I think it began post WW2 and slowly festered and grew... We didn't actively counter it in the USA like we d
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Many people only look at the end results of fascist leaders of history which is naturally when they were most known. They built up for years doing great harm before invading others which is NOT a requirement. After Trump purges enough internally, the fake threats will be too weak which will necessitate a shift; he will be dead before this happens. I think modern media is so good at creating fear in Americans that it's possible to have invisible enemies within maybe forever without needing to create a war
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Of course this is not a band of humor in other places like news papers, magazines, web sites, etc. This is on a road safety sign.
I personally think it is silly, but this particular step is not toward totalitarianism.
Not to suggest that we should not be concerned about current politics. The politics of hate lead to very bad outcomes.
Is this some kind of a joke? (Score:2)
Wtf.
Needed in Iowa (Score:2)
Just watched some footage of Iowa snow-storms, every car had its parking/running lights off. Here, when the weather is bad, about one-third of people automatically activate their headlights. The local radio (most stations are syndicated) even reminds people to use their headlights.
The result in Iowa was, when one car stopped, every subsequent car crashed. One scene had 20 stopped cars, none of them indicating they were impeding traffic. Of course, the 21st, 22nd, 23rd cars to arrive, rear-ended the st
Stupidity (Score:2)
Roadside billboards next (Score:2)
I'm sick of all the big format advertising alongside all roads.
...and, with the stroke of a pen... (Score:2)
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Bridge Out
Welcome to your place in the Darwin Awards.
Camp in the state park, not the left lane. (Score:1)
This means you.
Good. (Score:2)
We have one of those signs that I see every day on my way to work. They put irrelevant bullshit up there with bullshit like, for example, a reminder to watch the fucking road. Well no fucking shit, how about you don't put that on the sign and then I'll spend more time looking at where I'm going?
The cherry on top is that they swore up and down that the signs would only be used to transmit necessary information to drivers before they put them in. Road closures, icy conditions, okay put a message on there. Oth
Miserable People (Score:1)
If you dislike... (Score:2)
Big traffic fines
Slow down
Till you
Can read these signs
Burma-Shave
I think I saw my last Burma Shave sign around 1961, on a back road in the Thumb of Michigan.