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.
If this is distracting, so are ads: Ban them too!
Isn’t the point to keep drivers awake by entertaining them? I’ve always been told the challenge of long road driving is the monotonousity, and aside from that it’s easier since everyone is travelling in the same direction at the same speed
No, the point is to get people to pay attention to the sign.
A little humor helps.
It’s like the homeless guy with the sign that says “Why lie? I want beer.”