We at Label Source would like to applaud the American city of Hayward, California, who have taken a rather novel approach to road safety. One can only assume that Hayward's residents weren't paying enough attention to the usual traffic signs, because one main road is now dotted with a slightly more unusual breed of signage:
"35 - It's a speed limit, not a suggestion!"
Downhill - Use: Eyes, Brakes, Brain"
Frank Holland, speaking on behalf of the city, said: "The idea is for people to do a double take and then realize, 'Oh, they want me to be careful on the hill. Standard traffic signs often become white noise...we wanted to use humour to get people to take a second look and think."
It's a great idea, and Hayward's attention-grabbing ploy seems to have worked - not only are residents paying more attention to the signs, the signs have actually made international news!
And motorists aren't the only targets of these humorous signs. They've got one for pedestrians, too:
The British public (sometimes justifiably) have very little patience for health and safety measures, and we think it would be fantastic if local councils took a leaf from Hayward's book and started using a bit of humour - it is a great way to capture people's attention and ensure that hazards don't go ignored.
It's important, though, to note that Hayward's rib-tickling signs aren't enough on their own; one local resident admitted that the signs were "cool", but added that "it's hard to see the speed limit". Hayward haven't replaced their standard road safety signs with the ones in these photos; they've just supplemented them with something fun and light-hearted. Both are important!
Photos: Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group
