‘Visiting Cheogatjip? Go Late’... Cheerful and Lively Electronic Billboards Fade into History

Major electronic billboard messages in the United States. The top left means to only light fireworks and stay awake when celebrating Independence Day (lit has a double meaning of setting off fireworks and being drunk). The top right means to use your turn signals for the new you in the New Year. The bottom left means to focus while driving, and the bottom right means to go slowly and late if you are visiting your in-laws.

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When driving on the roads of Massachusetts, USA, you can often see electronic road signs displaying phrases like ‘Use Yah Blinkah.’ "Yah" is a slang for "Yes," and "Blinkah" is a colloquial term for "blinker," meaning turn signal. In other words, it means "Yes, use your turn signal." Another sign in the same state reads, "Visiting in-laws? Slow down, get there late," advising drivers to slow down and arrive late when visiting their in-laws.

These cheerful and witty electronic signs will soon disappear. On the 19th, American media reported that "the U.S. Federal Highway Administration announced last month in a new 1,100-page manual that messages on electronic signs that may distract drivers will be banned starting in 2026 after a two-year grace period." Authorities stated that road signs and electronic signs "must be simple, direct, brief, easy to read, and clear, and should only be used to convey important information such as forward collision warnings, severe weather, and traffic delays." Safety belt reminders and warnings about speeding or impaired driving are also permitted.

A message to turn on the headlights like Rudolph's red nose.

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Across the United States, many states have adopted humorous electronic signs to encourage more drivers to pay attention to safety messages. Illinois, after legalizing marijuana in 2020, introduced a series of marijuana-related signs. One sign reads, "Got The Munchies? Get Food Delivered. Don‘t Drive High!" In Korean, this translates to "Feeling snacky? Order food. Don’t speed." The word "high" here plays on both speeding and being under the influence of drugs. In Korean slang, it’s similar to saying "Don’t get up (up)".

Mississippi introduced its first electronic sign in 2018, warning against using phones while driving with the message, "Eddie’s cousin says Twitter is full. Put your phone down." This phrase appeared on 72 signs across Mississippi that year and references the movie Christmas Vacation. Mississippi also parodied the Star Wars spin-off series with a sign saying, "Baby Yoda uses the Force but still needs a car seat."

A sign meaning "Always hug me with a seatbelt"

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Many signs include neologisms or double meanings. For example, referencing "vibe check," which literally means a heartbeat but colloquially refers to checking one’s emotional state, a sign reads, "Seatbelt, always pass the vibe check." Another parodies the phrase "Hocus Pocus" with "Hocus, Focus, Drive with focus," meaning "Focus on driving." There’s also a sign saying, "100 is the temperature, not the speed limit," referring to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (about 38 degrees Celsius), and another urging drivers to turn on their headlights like Rudolph’s red nose.

Some voices oppose the federal government mandating electronic sign policies that individual states have been voluntarily implementing in the land of freedom, the United States.

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