Utah Officials Use Playful Highway Signs to Encourage Safe Driving

Utah state transportation officials are employing playful messages on highway digital signs in the latest attempt to encourage safe driving.

The Standard-Examiner newspaper in Ogden reported that the signs say things such as “Turn signals: The original text message.”

Others say, “That seatbelt looks good on you” and “Steering wheel: Not a hands free device.”

They are part of summer program that features a new message each Monday on about 80 digital signs around the state.

Lisa Miller of the Utah Department of Transportation says they were inspired by similar programs in other states such as Iowa, Missouri and Tennessee.

Miller says the trick is not making the messages so edgy that they cause people to lose sight of the road or stop and take pictures.