Highway sign humor: Feds ban quirky messages, but will Minnesota?

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Federal Highway Administration doesn’t have a sense of humor about highway signs.

Its newest manual includes a ban by 2026 on funny and quirky messages on the electronic signs you’ve probably seen on the roads. And research by a University of Minnesota professor seems to support the decision.

You may have seen Taylor Swift lyrics discouraging road rage, football puns asking drivers to use their blinkers, and fruitcake slander as you drove on highways over the last year. Minnesota drivers seem to love cruising past a laugh on the road.

"Reading them in the morning definitely brightens my day," said Jolie Wulf, who has a long commute from Jordan every day.

"I like them," said Dan McHugh of Edina. "They're humorous."

But if one of the signs said something like, "There was a crash involving a truck full of thesauruses, and everybody around was shocked, stunned, amazed, and dumbfounded," the truth is, they might also have been distracted.

"There is reason and evidence to suggest that signs can distract drivers," said Dr. Joshua Madsen, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota Carlson School.

He came up with some of that evidence in his research. Dr. Madsen found around 4.5% more crashes on stretches of Texas highways when electronic displays showed the number of traffic deaths in the state than when the signs had no message at all.

The location also matters. Dr. Madsen says there could be benefits to a funny sign, especially on a long straight stretch of road.

"On the other hand, you know, there's a section of my commute here on I-94 where you've got lane changes, and you have to quickly navigate from one side to the other, and, you know, it's the most dangerous stretch of highway in Minnesota," Dr. Madsen said. "That is the least ideal place to try and convey any sort of pun."

There’s no data specific to humorous messages, but the Federal Highway Administration says — as of 2026 — those signs have to be "simple, direct, brief, legible, and clear" and can only be used for important information like warning drivers of crashes ahead.

"It's a cautious approach, right?" Dr. Madsen said. "Let's eliminate anything that might cause distractions."

Folks at the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) have cracked the occasional joke on our roads, and it doesn’t sound like they plan to stop.

"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 department told us in a written statement.

And some drivers say they’re more likely to notice the sign if there’s the potential for a giggle.

"I always look up there and see something kind of clever," said McHugh. "And then there's a good message about an accident two miles ahead. You bet. Makes me want to look at it."

But if he looks up on I-35W in a couple of years, he’s likely to see a blank space instead of "Shake It Off."