Fed regulations spell end of funny messages on road signs
Drivers, those beloved highway message signs with trendy and catchy sayings about road safety will soon disappear from Delaware highways thanks to a federal ban.
Have you ever read a road sign and quietly laughed to yourself from the driver’s seat or thought, “Did they really just say that?”
Well, the days of road jokes are now numbered, so enjoy them while you can before they become another bit of nostalgia you fondly remember.
The Delaware Department of Transportation is known for the electronic road signs posted on local roadways – most notably I-95 – that offer some words of safe driving wisdom with a quirky or humorous punch.
While some signs plainly deliver routine messages like “Don’t text n drive, arrive alive,” – which can currently be seen on Route 13 south of Route 273 – or updates about traffic backups and weather precautions, others are known to add a bit more flair to safety advisories.
“Come on, Eileen... your speed is obscene,” “You’re not a Christmas tree. Don’t drive lit,” and “Don’t text and drive. Get your head out of your apps,” have been blasted on Delaware’s electronic road signs in recent years.
Signs saying “Your truck won’t fit” have also been spotted near underpasses around Delaware.
Now, all overhead electronic signs with references to pop culture, intended to be funny or with obscure meanings will be banned starting in 2026 by the United States Federal Highway Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The ban is part of a change in rules governing how signs and other traffic control devices are regulated, as noted in the administration’s latest edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Controls for Streets and Highways that was released on Dec. 1. It says that the humorous signs can be misunderstood or distracting to drivers.
In the manual, the Federal Highway Administration states that road signs should be “simple, direct, brief, legible and clear” and used only for important information like sharing news about inclement weather and traffic delays, reminding people to wear seat belts and warning drivers about accidents and the dangers of speeding or driver impairment.
Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys’tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com