Federal Government Recommends That States Stop Having Fun With Highway Signs
The Federal Highway Administration has once again found something to complain about and this time it’s highway signs. The Federal Government is asking states to remove humor and pop culture references from their signs. Apparently, they feel like highway signs serve a higher purpose than relaying important information to drivers.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, highway signs should be taken very seriously. There are no longer to be jokes, references to pop culture or anything that could possibly make a driver smile. After all, nobody wants to be happy or entertained while driving, right?
“It’s time to get serious about highway safety,” said a spokesperson for the Federal Highway Administration. “We need to ensure that drivers are focused solely on the road ahead. Any type of humor or reference to popular culture is merely a distraction and we won’t stand for it.”
It’s unclear how much money the government spent on this initiative or why they thought it was necessary. After all, how many people have died on the highways from being too distracted by a humorous sign? Nevertheless, the government is requesting that states immediately begin removing any signs that mention beer, wine, or any other form of alcohol. Additionally, any signs that reference movies, TV shows or other types of entertainment must be taken down immediately.
It remains to be seen if states will comply with the government’s request or if they will stand their ground and keep the signs up. Some states, such as California, have had humorous highway signs for years and they’ve become an iconic part of the state’s culture. But, apparently, culture is no longer important in the eyes of the Federal Government.
While it’s understandable that safety needs to be a top priority on the highways, it’s hard to imagine that funny highway signs are causing accidents. There are much bigger issues at play, such as speeding, drunk driving, and distracted driving. But, instead of tackling those issues head-on, the government has chosen to focus on highway signs that make people laugh.
The irony is that while the Federal Highway Administration is focused on taking the fun out of highway signs, they haven’t done much to prevent highway fatalities. In 2019 alone, there were over 36,000 deaths on the roads. Perhaps if the government focused more on fixing our crumbling infrastructure and investing in public transportation, we wouldn’t have to rely on highway signs to keep us safe.
So, farewell funny signs. We’ll miss you. The highways will be a less entertaining place without you. But, we’ll soldier on and try to find new ways to make driving less boring. In the meantime, if anyone needs a laugh while they’re on the roads, they can always turn on their radio and listen to the federal government telling them how they should be driving.
