Silly safety signs to stay along Iowa highways, despite Feds recommendations
By Pepper Purpura
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IOWA (KCCI) — Iowa highways will keep puns and pop culture references as part of their highway-side safety messages, despite new federal recommendations discouraging silly slogans over concerns they may distract drivers.
The U.S. Department of Transportation said the highway-side message boards should be “simple, direct, brief, legible and clear.” But states are not required to follow that guidance.
The Federal Highway Administration said the following to clarify new rules:
“The Federal Highway Administration supports the use of changeable message signs for traffic safety campaigns that are meant to ensure the safety of the traveling public. The use of signs that make cultural references may be of interest, but safety is our top priority. The new edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) does not include a ban on humor or pop culture references on changeable message signs – that policy remains the same. Rather, it includes a recommendation to avoid the use of humor and pop culture references because it may confuse or distract drivers. Messages should fulfill a need; command attention; convey a clear, simple message; command respect; and provide adequate time for proper response.”
So, the Iowa Department of Transportation is opting to keep the fun phrases.
A member of Iowa’s team that develops the slogans, Willy Sorenson, said the jokes serve a greater purpose than simple fun. They’re a way to convey an important message — safety.
“Bottom line, we’re just doing marketing here, we are marketing safety,” Sorenson said. “(When drivers pass signs), we have about 12 seconds, and we want to make every second count, so we make our messages memorable so that they last more than 12 seconds.”
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