Federal Crackdown On Funny Traffic Signs Won't Stop MnDOT

Despite federal authorities' apparent disapproval, the Minnesota Department of Transportation has no plans to do away with its lighthearted and occasionally pop-culture savvy signs.

The signs, typically posted on Mondays, inject a bit of fun into standard safety warnings, instructing motorists “no reindeer games just safe lanes plan a sober ride” leading up to Christmas and “only witches fly high drive sober” around Halloween, per the department’s Facebook page.

The agency also joined in on the recent frenzy surrounding Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour and the “Barbie” movie.

“Me, hi, I’m the problem — it’s me drive safe speeds” cautioned a sign posted on Facebook by the department Oct. 2, referencing Swift’s hit song “Anti-Hero.” Another sign posted on Sept. 18 instructed, “let’s go Barbie buckle up yes, you Ken!”

The signs are at odds with the 11th edition of the Federal Highway Administration’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, dated December 2023.

The manual, designed to set uniform national criteria for traffic control devices, states that changeable message signs “should not be used to display a traffic safety campaign message if doing so could adversely affect respect for the sign.”

“Messages with obscure or secondary meanings, such as those with popular culture references, unconventional sign legend syntax, or that are intended to be humorous, should not be used as they might be misunderstood or understood only by a limited segment of road users and require greater time to process and understand,” according to the manual.

While certain federal guidance is considered mandatory, states have the flexibility to exercise judgment in other areas, including "creating messages that will help improve safety on our roadways," according to Minnesota’s transportation department.

“MnDOT is aware of the new federal guidelines, and we do not anticipate they will change the way MnDOT shares creative highway safety messages with the public that helps improve safety on our Minnesota roadways,” the state agency said in a prepared statement. “We believe these messages are an important part of improving the culture of traffic safety in Minnesota, and why we will continue our Message Monday campaign.”