Funny, pun-filled DOT signs probably aren't going away in Wisconsin after all
Claire Reid
Driving in traffic on Wisconsin's highways can be a pain, but at least sometimes, if you look up slightly, you can find a little humor in it.
For about the past decade, overhead signs on Wisconsin's highways have displayed safety messages on dynamic message signs, or DMS. The messages seek to remind people to drive safe and sober, often with the help of humor or pop culture references.
Past messages have included: "That's the temperature, not the speed limit," "Texting and driving: Autocorrect yourself," and "Camp in the woods, not in the left lane."
People love the messages, said David Karnes, traffic systems and management engineering chief with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Karnes collaborates with a committee that meets monthly to craft the messages. He said people often approach him at social events and family gatherings to tell him how much they like the messages and ask questions about them.
So, last month, when news broke that new regulations from the Federal Highway Administration could ban jokes and pop culture references from overhead highway signs in Wisconsin and across the country by 2026, many people expressed their disappointment.
But, thankfully for the humor enthusiasts, it turns out that the future of Wisconsin's funny highway signs might not be as straight-faced as initially thought.
Is WisDOT getting rid of funny, pop-culture-inspired highway signs in Wisconsin?
The short answer is no, but the types of content allowed on the signs might be changing.
Worries about funny highway signs disappearing for good started after the Federal Highway Administration released its updated Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, or MUTCD, in December. The MUTCD "defines the standards by which road managers nationwide ... install and maintain traffic control devices," including DMS, Karnes explained.
The FHWA recommended state departments of transportation stop displaying messages with "obscure meanings, references to popular culture" and those "that are intended to be humorous" or otherwise express things in ways that could be misunderstood by or are distracting to drivers.
The new MUTCD guidelines go into effect in 2026. Each time a new federal MUTCD is introduced, states can choose to adopt it or create their own that complies with the FHWA's. WisDOT will work on developing a new Wisconsin MUTCD for 2026, Karnes said. In doing that, they'll review their current DMS safety message policies.
"At the Wisconsin DOT, we are reviewing that new federal manual, and so, as we go through that process, we're going to be looking at different guidelines and requirements in that manual," Karnes said. "I can tell you that it does not include a ban on humor or pop culture references on dynamic message signs."
Instead, he said WisDOT will work with the FHWA and local agencies to potentially develop new guidelines on what safety messages can and cannot include.
"We're always evaluating what we put out there. We want to be clear, concise and understandable. We don't want to confuse people," he said.
WisDOT division communication manager Steve Theisen said WisDOT often takes inspiration from holidays when coming up with safety messages. For example, every year on Star Wars Day, May 4 ― as in "May the fourth be with you" ― provides a "fun opportunity" to talk about Star Wars, he said.
"I know one year we had a heavier play on words where we said, 'Han says, 'Solo down, Leia off the gas''," he recalled.
He said this play on words made him realize the importance of "being cognizant and aware" that not all drivers understand hyper-specific cultural references.
Who comes up with overhead highway sign messages in Wisconsin?
Your favorite funny overhead highway sign messages are created by a WisDOT committee that includes representatives in engineering, law enforcement and from the FHWA, Karnes said. The committee meets monthly to develop and review messages.
In addition to holidays, messages often take inspiration from Wisconsin sports teams. During Packers season, for example, a popular one is "Huddle up for the big game, drive sober," Theisen said.
He added that WisDOT seeks to be timely with its pop culture references.
"Back in 2015 or 2016, Pokémon Go was a huge fad, so we capitalized on that with a simple message, 'Drive now. Catch Pokémon later,'" he said.
Karnes said a message like this is effective because, even if you're unfamiliar with Pokémon Go, the message that your main role behind the wheel is to focus on the road still comes across clearly.
"We look at it from a perspective of, even if you don't understand that pop culture reference, you get the gist of what we're trying to say," Karnes explained. "You might not know what Pokémon Go is, but you can understand you shouldn't be doing other activities while you're driving."
After all, Karnes said, the primary purpose of DMS is not humor but to "promote safe driving" and relay important information about incidents, closures, weather, and Silver and AMBER alerts. Still, he says humor is an "effective tool" for getting people to pay attention to DMS.
"We can use a little bit of humor, a little bit of pop culture references, to get their attention and get across safety messages that we really want them to think about."
How do I suggest a safety message idea to WisDOT?
Theisen said members of the community are welcome to suggest safety message ideas via the contact page on 511.wi.gov.
He said WisDOT is open to hearing from the public but is also "mindful and cognizant" that its and DMS's mission and primary focus is to "promote safe driving."