‘Don’t be a grinch, let them merge.’ NJDOT’s sassy highway signs are back — with Christmas spirit
Sassy NJDOT signs made an appearance last year but came down in November 2022 after instructions from the Federal Highway Administration.
“Santa’s watching. Put down the phone.”
“Don’t be a grinch. Let them merge.”
The New Jersey Department of Transportation is getting creative with its highway safety signs again — and this time, they’ve got the Christmas spirit.
Holiday safety messages are rotating on all 224 signs NJDOT operates on interstate and state highways.
“These new holiday-themed messages fit with our continued approach to reduce crashes and promote safer driving habits,” NJDOT press manager Stephen Schapiro, said via email. “It’s about making sure people read them, remember them, and drive safely.”
The festive messages went up Nov. 25 and will be on display through the holidays. The NJDOT communications team came up with most of the messages and borrowed some from other state departments of transportation, Schapiro said.
NJDOT began displaying signs with attention-grabbing messages in October 2022, but in November of the same year, the messages disappeared when the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) instructed NJDOT to take down the signs, to the great dismay of many drivers. Sen. Cory Booker (D., N.J.), and Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R., N.J.) came together in a rare moment of political unity to rally to get the signs back. Booker, Van Drew and 10 other congressional colleagues signed a letter to the FHWA asking them to provide a reason for putting an end to the signs in New Jersey.
The letter read, “Given the positive reception around these recent safety efforts in New Jersey, we are very concerned to have learned of FHWA’s decision to block the use of these signs earlier this week without providing NJDOT with a comprehensive, data-driven justification for the decision.”
Asked why the signs have returned this year after the FHWA’s instruction last year, Schapiro said the department is trying to follow the same guidance other states are following, and being mindful of the kinds of messages they put up — keeping them safety centered.
Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, NJDOT commissioner, told The Inquirer last year that the inspiration to bring the signs to New Jersey highways came from seeing Delaware’s approach, which started in 2017. Creative highway messages have also been used in Pennsylvania as well as other states including Utah, California, and Tennessee.
The number of vehicle crash fatalities is down this year in New Jersey, as of Wednesday, compared to 2022. There have been 546 fatalities this year, 93 less to date compared to last year, according to the New Jersey State Police.
“N.J. has really been very fortunate in the last several months to see our safety record improve,” Schapiro said.
Drivers be warned, one of the festive signs reads: “Reckless drivers are worse than fruitcake.”