FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — If you drive along Arkansas highways, you've probably noticed the humorous signs that pop up on those large digital billboards.
Fayetteville driver Matt Becker said he noticed a sign a while back that caught his attention.
"Camp in the Ozarks, not in the left lane," Becker said. "I thought it was very clever."
Ultimately, these humorous electronic signs are meant to share safety tips, just in a way that might capture your attention a bit better.
"If it's funny, then perhaps they'll be a little more memorable and perhaps they'll remember to do that thing," said Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) ITS Engineer Joseph Hawkins.
A few examples of past signs include:
- Buckle up. That seatbelt looks good on you
- Don't speed. Do a good deed
- Drive hammered, get nailed
Though Arkansas doesn't have comedy writers on the payroll, they are looking at what other states' Department of Transportation are using on their signs and then they are bringing that home.
"Our leadership asked us to develop a policy on our DMS—digital message signs—and at that time we looked around to see what other state D.O.T.'s were doing and there were lots of great examples out there," Hawkins said.
"So, instead of reinventing the wheel, we saw what worked and we collected this list. We added a few of our own."
Arkansas' state-wide traffic management team decides which sayings will be used. You won't see them every day though, only on Mondays and Fridays. ARDOT leaders don't want them to lose their effectiveness.
"I would ask drivers to always pay attention to the message board, because if we have some actual information that will help your drive, we're going to post it," Hawkins said.
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