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‘Only Rudolph should be lit’: Cheeky NJ highway signs back for holidays

By

Stephen Nessen

Published Dec 4, 2023

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A sign on a highway reading "Ho Ho Ho please drive slow."

 

NJ DOT

By

Stephen Nessen

Published Dec 4, 2023

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New Jersey transportation officials have posted quirky, holiday-themed highway safety warnings for drivers, even though the federal government ordered the state to remove similar signs last year.

“Only Rudolph should be lit, drive high get DUI," one of this year's digital signs reads.

“Reckless drivers are worse than fruitcake," says another.

In 2022, the Federal Highway Administration told the NJ Department of Transportation to take down highway signs with messages including "Slow down, this ain't Thunder Road" and "We'll be blunt, don't drive high," saying they didn’t meet national standards.

Federal rules require highway signage to “convey a clear, simple meaning.” “The use of witticisms, colloquialisms, and popular culture references that target or are comprehended only by a limited segment of the population is not consistent with a clear, simple meaning for all,” the rules state.

But an FHA spokesperson did not answer questions about whether the agency approved of this year's new signs. Instead, the spokesperson said states are expected to exercise good judgment and conform to federal guidelines.

One of the new signs on New Jersey highways.

NJ DOT

New Jersey officials believe they’ve finally cracked the code and are in good standing with the feds.

“NJDOT is trying to follow the same guidance that so many other states are following,” department spokesperson Stephen Schapiro said in a statement. “We are being mindful of the kinds of messages we put up, keeping them safety centered.”

There are more than 220 signs on interstate and state highways in the Garden State, according to Shapiro.

“Our goal is always to create attention to safety and that’s what these signs are about," he said. "It’s about making sure people read them, remember them, and drive safely."

This year's holiday-themed messages include:

Tagged

traffic safety

transportation

new jersey

holidays

driving

Federal Highway Administration

Stephen Nessen

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Stephen Nessen covers transportation. Since 2008 he has reported on everything from Occupy Wall Street, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, Hurricane Sandy, to Trump’s campaign for president. His transportation reporting has taken him everywhere from the MTA’s secret Rail Control Center to the gleaming subways of Seoul. Got a tip? Email [email protected].

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