Humorous and quirky road safety campaign messages will be banned across the country by 2026, authorities have announced, under new guidelines that come into effect on January 18.
The U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHA), a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation, announced the release of the Manual for Uniform Street and Highway Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) after the final rule adopting it was released on December 19. Published 11th edition. 2023 Federal Register, According to FHA.
The 1,100-page manual, which is the national standard for traffic signs, states, among other things, that road safety campaign messages are secondary to traffic control messages, and that road safety messages displayed on electronic signs must be “simple, direct, concise and , it must be easy to read.'' , is clear. ”
“Messages with ambiguous or secondary meanings, such as references to popular culture, unconventional sign legend syntax, or those intended to be humorous, are likely to be misunderstood or understood only by a limited segment of road users. “It should not be used because it takes time to process and understand,” the manual further states. “Slogan-like messages and statistical displays should likewise not be used.”
MUTCD was last updated in 2009 and resulted from the contributions of state and local traffic engineers and traffic control device engineers, among others, FHA said. statement. (Related: Biden administration launches mass highway emissions regulations on Thanksgiving eve)
No kidding❌ Federal government bans humorous electronic messages on highways https://t.co/eqet7qWaBc pic.twitter.com/4zOXdGdoC4
— WFLA News (@WFLA) January 14, 2024
“Each state must adopt the National MUTCD 11th Edition as the legal state standard for traffic control devices within two years of its effective date,” FHA said.
Two examples of acceptable road safety campaign messages are “unbuckled seatbelts – fine + demerit points” and “impaired drivers – loss of license + jail time,” the manual states.
So, for example, Massachusetts would remove safety messages. “Use Yar Brinka.” Associated Press (AP) to eliminate electronic billboards by 2026 report. Other states such as Ohio (“Do you want to visit your in-laws? Take it easy and arrive late.”), Pennsylvania (“Don't drive a car with the Stars and Stripes''), New Jersey (“Hocus pocus, stay focused''), Arizona (“Put your hands on the steering wheel, not your food''), Please”) will reportedly remove similar signs between 2024 and 2024. 2026.
