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Feds are banning humorous electronic messages on highways
- Thread starter Stevicus
- Start date
Oh, I'd wager those are a problem too, but the ability to regulate them is more limited. The federal government has the authority to regulate how it goes about its own traffic signage. It does not - without an act of congress - have the authority to regulate other signage, right?
I remember back when the town I grew up in got its first distracting electronic sign on a major roadway? They saw an uptick in accidents on that road afterwards. Unfortunately, the aidsvertisement billboard stayed and the people just accepted more accidents.
I think they can regulate some signs in terms of size and how close they are. Not necessarily the content. That's what is weird about this new rule. They're not saying the signs have to come down; they're just saying what can be put on it. Why wouldn't a non-humorous message be just as distracting? As you say, it may be the electronic sign itself which is the distraction, not the content of the message, humorous or not.
What they really ought to do is ban bumper stickers.
I've seen a lot of annoying signs in Illannoying.
No joke: Feds discourage humorous electronic messages on highways
The U.S. Federal Highway Administration has given states two years to implement the changes.apnews.com
I've seen these signs, and I can't say they're all that distractive. Not as much as some of the billboards and other roadside distractions. What difference does it make how funny they are? Are boring messages less of a distraction?
Do these electronic message signs bother you? If you could put the messages on there to send a message to your fellow drivers, what would you put?
No joke: Feds discourage humorous electronic messages on highways
The U.S. Federal Highway Administration has given states two years to implement the changes.
I've seen these signs, and I can't say they're all that distractive. Not as much as some of the billboards and other roadside distractions. What difference does it make how funny they are? Are boring messages less of a distraction?
Do these electronic message signs bother you? If you could put the messages on there to send a message to your fellow drivers, what would you put?
I'm a bit confused by this story, since even the 2009 MUTCD prohibited anything other than traffic-related messages with only very narrow exceptions (e.g. amber alerts). The FHWA has put out rulings against cutesy changeable message sign messages long before the most recent edition of the MUTCD came out.
As for this guy:
The MUTCD has always been about the feds telling states what to do... sorta. States don't have to follow it, but then they lose federal highway funding for their interstates. A state DOT that decides not to follow the MUTCD also gets to explain to lawyers and judges why they decided not to follow it any time they get sued over a crash.
yes, but I was speaking of the message boards operated by the Department of Transportation...Burma-Shave - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Still, I like to remind people of the signs I enjoyed back before I could drive.
Shadow Wolf
Certified People sTabber & Business Owner
Im way more bothered by bright, flashy billboards and signs
How does "hands on the wheel, not on your meal" do any od that?For added context - since I'm not sure everyone is actually reading the article - the regulation is about these kinds of signs on highways:
The purpose of these signs is to inform drivers about immediate road conditions, traffic flow, and stuff like that. The communication needs to be clear, concise, and simple. It's not the space for flippancy and getting cute. Otherwise, it conditions drivers akin to the boy who cried wolf and they fail to serve their intended purpose - as an alert system that citizens should pay attention to in order to be safe on the road.
And you posted a picture of a test. Those things need to occasionally happen to make sure its in working order to relay information.
I'm sure you can figure it out and don't need me to tell you.
So? It was the first image I found of that type of sign. Post your own if you don't like it.
McBell
Unbound
Bureaucrats do take their jobs seriously.
Their number one priority is to justify their existence.
So they are most excellent at solving problems that do not exist.
Of course, their track record of solving problems that do exist is dismal.
Shadow Wolf
Certified People sTabber & Business Owner
It's not a so. Like an emergency broadcast test, it's got to happen and you posted it as an example of something that's got to go.So? It was the first image I found of that type of sign. Post your own if you don't like it.
Or maybe you don't really know why yourself since thats what you got when asked to explain.
Yes, it is. Gods forbid I just put up the first image I find instead of spending a long time scouring the internet for the perfect image for a post on a recreational web forum... and assume readers are intelligent enough to get the idea.
Oh, yeah, I'm sure that's it.
It isn't a new rule.
The 2009 MUTCD had guidance about acceptable and unacceptable use of changeable message signs. The FHWA reiterated this in a 2021 ruling:
(The ruling then goes on to spell out appropriate CMS messages, deliberately excluding cutesy messages)
All that's really happened with the new MUTCD is that the language in the manual itself was tightened up to reflect what was in the 2021 ruling, which DOTs were already supposed to be following.
I really don't understand why this story is news.
Trumps a crook, dont make a dumb vote.No joke: Feds discourage humorous electronic messages on highways
The U.S. Federal Highway Administration has given states two years to implement the changes.
I've seen these signs, and I can't say they're all that distractive. Not as much as some of the billboards and other roadside distractions. What difference does it make how funny they are? Are boring messages less of a distraction?
Do these electronic message signs bother you? If you could put the messages on there to send a message to your fellow drivers, what would you put?
As they get cheaper, they're getting deployed more and more even in rural areas where it makes sense.
For instance, around here (southern Ontario), they have changeable message signs near the decision points for cross-border trucks (like the 401/402 split near London). I've also seen some in areas that are prone to highway closures for bad weather.
VoidCat
Use any and all pronouns including neo and it/it's
You misunderstood. @Quintessence was just clarifying what type of signs the article was talking about not what messages the article is talking about being banned.
Easy mistake to make. I had to read the message twice to get it.
Shadow Wolf
Certified People sTabber & Business Owner
It's a very bad look. "They're doing away with this" and its a test message. Yeah, if you're going to go on about working at a university you should know why you should have put more effort into it.
You still haven't explained so you must not actually have anything. You was aksed and didn't provide. You aren't defending a point that by all intents and purposes doesn't even seem you thiught it out given you aren't defending or supporting it.Oh, yeah, I'm sure that's it.
Shadow Wolf
Certified People sTabber & Business Owner
It says its messages, not signs. And thise signs are what they use to notify people of things like weather, wrecks, delays and other traffic related info.
VoidCat
Use any and all pronouns including neo and it/it's
@Quintessence. Said
Then it shows the picture. They posted that picture to add context that those the type of signs the article is talking about
Shadow Wolf
Certified People sTabber & Business Owner
The OP is messages, not signs. They aren't banning signs, they're banning mesaages.