Here’s how your clever message could end up on a Texas highway sign

Texas Highway sign (James M. Bass, TxDOT Executive Director)

Got a knack for funny and informative humor? Want to see your joke in big bright lights across the state? The Texas Department of Transportation is offering witty Texans with an affinity for driving jokes the chance to do just that after putting out a call for new digital highway sign safety messages.

“By now most Texans have seen the informative — and often clever — messages above Texas highways on digital message boards that encourage safer driving,” TxDOT said in a release. “Well now it’s your time to shine.”

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The competition, which began on Nov. 24 and runs through Dec. 8, asks participants to submit their “best and most creative safe-driving message that is related to impaired driving (drunk or drugged driving,) distracted driving (texting while driving,) not wearing seatbelts and/or speeding.”

“The message must bring awareness to the dangers of common driver mistakes such as distracted driving, impaired driving, not using seat belts, speeding, etc,” TxDOT said in a release. “We also will accept other rules of the road, such as ‘no tailgating’ and ‘left lane for passing only.’”

The most successful messages often use pop culture or current events to encourage safe driving.

Need some inspiration to get you started? Here are a few funny and informative messages that have graced the state’s digital highways signs:

  • Give thanks and slow your roll
  • Oh good gravy wear a mask & buckle up
  • Gobble gobble go easy on the throttle
  • Only Rudolph should drive lit
  • Baby Yoda uses a car seat be safe he will
  • Booze & cruise Now that is spooky

Got a lot of jokes up for consideration? No need to hold back. There is no limit to the number of entries a contestant can submit.

The department will whittle down the entries to 10 top contenders. TxDOT will post the finalists on social media and let the public make the final determination.  A “like” or “share” will equal one point. The three messages with the most points will get displayed on highways across the state.

Submissions may consist of two flashing panels with three lines each containing 15 characters. Participants may use both slides (six lines) or a single slide (three lines).

Hashtags, phone numbers, and website addresses are not allowed, and offensive language isn’t permitted.

Entries are accepted at TxDOT.gov.

RELATED: You have to see these hilarious highway signs spotted in Texas


About the Author:

Briana Zamora-Nipper joined the KPRC 2 digital team in 2019. When she’s not hard at work in the KPRC 2 newsroom, you can find Bri drinking away her hard earned wages at JuiceLand, running around Hermann Park, listening to crime podcasts or ransacking the magazine stand at Barnes & Noble.