Illinois drivers who appreciate humorous messages while they’re on area highways will be sad to learn that such signs will be banned in coming years.
According to new guidance released this week, the U.S. Federal Highway Administration has given states two years to implement changes outlined in a new manual released last month.
Overhead electronic signs with obscure meanings, pop culture references or those intended to be funny will be banned in 2026 because they can be “misunderstood or distracting to drivers,” according to the Associated Press.
The Illinois Department of Transportation has had some noteworthy humorous signs in recent years. Some of the most notable IDOT signs included “No Texting, No Speeding, No Ketchup” in an image captured by the Daily Herald. A “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” inspired sign in recent years read “Cousin Eddie says Twitter’s full, put the phone away,” while another captured by WIFR talked about prohibitions on texting while driving, reading “OMG, Are you texting? I can’t even.”
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Signage must be “simple, direct, brief, legible and clear” according to the new manual.
It is unclear how long it will take Illinois to switch its protocols on overhead signage.
