Holiday travelers probably saw highway signs declaring “Santa sees you when you’re speeding” and “only the menorah should be lit — drive sober.”
Why it matters: Two years ago, reports warned of a federal “ban” on humorous digital highway signs taking effect this past weekend.
- But like a tire, it seems the warnings were a bit … inflated.
The fine print: New rules the Federal Highway Administration released in 2024 do set guidelines for safety slogans, stating messaging should be “simple, direct, brief, legible and clear” and “relevant to the road user.”
- They say “messages with obscure or secondary meanings” shouldn’t be used, citing phrases “that are intended to be humorous” and pop culture references as examples.
- That’s because such messages may be “understood only by a limited segment of road users and require greater time to process,” which could be distracting or dangerous.
Yes, but: It’s unlikely a sign like Thanksgiving weekend’s popular “Turkey says buckle buckle” would confuse anybody.
- So while Ohio was already “conforming to the new guidance” last year, that one was pardoned, Ohio Department of Transportation spokesperson Matt Bruning tells Axios.
The other side: There have been some flops that won’t return under the new guidelines, like a past reference to the holiday classic “A Christmas Story” — “Life is fra-gee-lay, buckle up!”
- Some drivers who hadn’t seen the film were, indeed, left confused.
- “We got calls,” Bruning says with a chuckle.
What they’re saying: For years, the goal has been to encourage safer driver habits with these clever slogans, which only run during off-peak hours and weekends.
- Though that impact is difficult to measure, they’re sparking conversations at the very least, Bruning says.
- “No one has ever told me: ‘I saw the sign that said “click it or ticket.”‘”
The bottom line: Highway signs should be easier to understand in 2026, but that doesn’t mean they have to yield all the fun.
Go deeper: “Camp in Ohio state parks, not the left lane” … and all the other 2025 highway safety messages…