Did Louisiana Get a Head Start on Distracted Driving Awareness Month this Year? Learn about Why Road Safety Signs May Look Different in the Pelican State this Spring

What is wrong with having a little fun when it comes to traffic safety? Well, a lot is wrong with it, according to the United States Federal Highway Administration. In fact, this year, the agency’s concern over agencies that use humorous or “punchy” references when advising motorists of traffic safety rules and notices on roadside signs has caused it to heighten safety standards and ban funny roadside signs that use “obscure or secondary meanings, popular culture references, or humorous intent.” (An example of a roadside sign that would not comply with the U.S. Federal Highway Administration’s new guidelines is “Use Yah Blinkah” (a funny way to say “Use Your Blinker”).

Why the recent concern over state traffic agencies using catchy and funny phrases to help engage motorists? Distracted driving. Indeed, months before April Distracted Driving Awareness Month, the U.S. Federal Highway Administration pointed to distracted driving as a “significant contributor to road accidents in recent times.” State transportation officials see the new crackdown on “punny” road signs as a good measure. Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development spokesperson Rodney Mallett said of the measures, “We see too many crashes because of distracted driving, so the last thing we want to do is put something up that would be a distraction.”

Instead of funny and catchy road safety signs, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development is adopting the new standards by focusing on clear safety messages that are easy to quickly read. “Click it or ticket” and “drive sober or get pulled over” are examples of these types of safety messages. Of the new and potentially less-distracting signs, Crystal Pichon, CEO of The Safety Place, a non-profit committed to community safety education, stated, “Just because the distraction is there, doesn’t mean you have to participate in the distraction,” pointing out that it is a driver’s responsibility to keep their eyes on the road and focus on driving, no matter what is written on a roadside sign. However, whether all safety advocates agree with the changes or not, they will go into effect in 2026.

Legal Help for Victims of Distracted Driving Car Accidents in Louisiana

There is no place on the road for distracted driving, regardless of whether a roadside sign says so through a pun or through plain words. If you were injured in a car accident in Louisiana, reach out to the experienced Louisiana personal injury lawyers at Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC. The experienced Louisiana personal injury lawyers at Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC offer a free and confidential consultation to learn about your case and to see if they can help fight to get you compensation due to you under Louisiana personal injury laws. Contact the experienced Louisiana personal injury lawyers at Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC today and speak to a lawyer about your case for free.

Source:

1079ishot.com/la-dotd-being-banned-from-using-funny-highway-signs/