Jan 17, 2024 - News
Colorado wants federal highway officials to take a joke
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Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
The feds are a bit of a stinker. They don't like how Colorado urges people to use their blinker.
Driving the news: The Federal Highway Administration is putting the kibosh on messages displayed over highways that are funny or clever, saying the wording could "adversely affect respect for the sign."
- The new rules explicitly prohibit states from using messages with pop culture references, humor or anything that "might be misunderstood or understood only by a limited segment of road users and require greater time to process and understand."
The other side: The news prompted an eye roll from Colorado's transportation chief.
- "Washington sure knows how to take the fun out of funding," state transportation director, Shoshana Lew told us in a statement. "Kidding aside, we think a little levity can help get important messages across, especially in tough weather conditions and while we fix our roads and bridges."
What to know: Colorado transportation officials believe their messages will comply with the new federal rules.
- The signs don't include pop culture references and strive to be simple in order to minimize distractions.
- "We aim for messages that are simple and direct but also memorable," Sam Cole, the safety communications manager tells us.
Quick take: Our top 5 favorite CDOT signs:
- "Camp in the mountains, not in the left lane"
- "Cats have 9, you have 1, buckle up."
- "Gobble, gobble, easy on the throttle" (timed to Thanksgiving)
- "Don't be a stinker, use your blinker"
- "Exit to text it"