You might need your teen to translate these highway signs. (And that’s the point)

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – With graduation season underway, Hawaii’s roads are expected to be even busier. That’s why highway officials are getting creative with their safety messaging.

The DOT is rolling out new safety signs with eye-catching warnings.

One reads: “Give grads lei, not alcohol.”

Another targets young drivers with the message: “Drinking and driving is not the vibe” Still another warns: “Speed kills, no cap.”

“No cap means no lie,” said Hawaii Transportation Director Ed Sniffen, spearheaded the campaign. “I had to talk to my kids and ask them about it. I wanted to make sure everyone understood, speed is the reason for fatalities on our system.”

Using creative and trendy messaging to promote safety on roadways has been done for years on the continent. In Massachusetts, one state sign that read “Use yah blinkah” went viral. Mississippi started rolling out “Star Wars”-themed signs in 2018.

“We’ve had people tell us that our messages have affected driver behavior,” said Paul Katool, with the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

“There’s only so many times you can tell people to put the phone down and ditch the distracted driving, take it slow. Eventually people just tune you out a little bit.”

But not everyone is fully on board, including the federal government, which issued new guidelines that will go intol effect in 2026 that could limit the use of funny or trendy signs.

“Federal highways give us guidance on what our signs should or should or not include,” acknowledged Sniffen. “There’s some adjustments coming in 2026, but from what we understand, it will not affect the educational messaging we put on our signs.”

Officials know not everyone will like it, but some say its the sign of the times.

“It makes me feel younger reading those edgy signs,” said one driver.

“If it can save 100 lives or one life, it’s worth it.”

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