It’s no joke. Humorous and quirky messages on electronic signs will soon disappear from highways and freeways across the country.
The U.S. Federal Highway Administration has given states two years to implement all the changes outlined in its new 1,100-page manual released last month, including rules that spells out how signs and other traffic control devices are regulated.
Administration officials said overhead electronic signs with obscure meanings, references to pop culture or those intended to be funny will be banned in 2026 because they can be misunderstood or distracting to drivers.
Someone in the federal govt has too much time on their hands. Advertising studies have shown that these are the kinds of messages you need on “billboards” to attract attention and improve retention.
Source? Link to a study?
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/250168757_Why_Do_Advertisers_Use_Puns_A_Linguistic_Perspective
So what? I don’t give a shit what advertisers think they need to increase their profit.
These messages are more so safety PSAs. I saw one in Maine during the Fall that read “Use your blinkers, pumpkin spice drinkers.” Or something to that effect.
pssst they’re not taking about using it on advertisments