Readers: What are your thoughts on banning funny electronic highway signs?
Signs like “Use Yah Blinkah,” will no longer be allowed on the roads.
By 2026, comical electronic signs will be banned from all state highways and freeways — and we’re not joking.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHA), has directed all states to cease lighting up changeable electronic signs with messages that have an “obscure meaning,” “references to pop culture” or “intended to be humorous” and replace them with messages that are meaningful and to the point.
The FHA, which is housed the United States Department of Transportation and recently released an updated 1,100-page manual for traffic control devices detailing the new sign guidelines, said that messages related to safety and transportation should always be “clear and direct,” as they can be misconstrued by drivers or cause confusion to those who may not understand them.
According to the manual, many commenters were opposed to the new provisions for message signs and proposed that they should be less restrictive and more flexible. Other commenters supported the new restrictions, viewing some of the funny messaging as inappropriate or overused.
In Massachusetts, signs that incorporate local language and the famous Boston accent, such as those that read “Use Yah Blinkah,” will no longer be allowed on the roads. Examples from other states include “Texting and driving? Say it: I’m the problem, it’s me” in Mississippi, referencing “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift; “We’ll be blunt, don’t drive high” in New Jersey; and “Visiting in-laws? Slow down, get there late” in Ohio.
We want to know: Do you agree with the ban on humorous highway signs? Why or why not? We also want to know your favorite sign that you’ve seen. Do you have any ideas for a funny highway sign that you wished ran on the big screen?
Share your thoughts with Boston.com by filling out the survey below or e-mailing us at [email protected] and we may feature your response in a future Boston.com article or on our social media channels.
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