DelDOT brings Super Bowl swagger to highway safety signs
The jokesters at the Delaware Department of Transportation are at it again.
As the Eagles prepare to take on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII Sunday, divers are being encouraged to not drink and drive with a little bit of gridiron humor.
"FLY EAGLES FLY. DRIVE DRUNK. GET A DUI," reads a sign greeting motorists on I-495 through Wilmington.
Another reads: "YOU CAN'T DEFLATE UR WAY OUT ... OF A DUI," an apparent jab at the Patriots being accused of cheating by deflating game balls during a 2015 playoff game.
The messages are sprinkled onto some of DelDOT's dozens of highway-side message boards used to display information about road hazards.
These boards are normally off or have sobering messages about the number of traffic fatalities though the state if they are not displaying pertinent information about road hazards.
DelDOT Chief Traffic Engineer Mark Luszcz said the goal is to encourage people to make the right decisions — the jab at the Patriots is an added bonus, he said.
"It is trying to get folks' attention and also support the Eagles," Luszcz said.
It is a tactic that was also employed by traffic officials during the holiday season.
"SANTA IS WATCHING. DRIVE SOBER. DRIVE SAFE," read some roadside signs in December.
Another favorite was, "ONLY REINDEER CAN FLY. WATCH YOUR SPEED."
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The internet seems to be a fan.
"The people who do the Delaware road signs are some savage Eagles fans apparently," tweeted Twitter user Zoe Hughes.
The signs may be difficult to spot on Monday.
Luszcz said the message boards typically display the number of traffic fatalities for the year in Delaware to start the week. Barring a more pertinent hazard message, the witticisms will return Tuesday, he said.
An interactive map showing what messages are posted where can be found at deldot.gov/map.
Contact Xerxes Wilson at (302) 324-2787 or xwilson@delawareonline.com. Follow @Ber_Xerxes on Twitter.