Big death signs

[Beltway]

Sign --

DEATH KILLS

[Scott5114]

It didn't straddle the railroad tracks. I found another photo on Facebook of it:

[ipeters61]

It didn't straddle the railroad tracks. I found another photo on Facebook of it:

Wait that sign has neon lighting?

[hotdogPi]

It didn't straddle the railroad tracks. I found another photo on Facebook of it:

Wait that sign has neon lighting?

Yes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billups_Neon_Crossing_Signal

[ErmineNotyours]

Compdude's Highway 20 video mentioned deer kills signs, and how they mention the dollar damage they do to your car.  I tracked it down on WSDOT SR Web and found this:

Manual deer kill highway sign, WA SR 20 by Arthur Allen, on Flickr

[US71]

It didn't straddle the railroad tracks. I found another photo on Facebook of it:

Wait that sign has neon lighting?

Yes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billups_Neon_Crossing_Signal

That spot needs a historical marker

[wanderer2575]

Fun-loving sign on Ontario's Highway 401:

[Amtrakprod]

It didn't straddle the railroad tracks. I found another photo on Facebook of it:

Wait that sign has neon lighting?

Yes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billups_Neon_Crossing_Signal

That spot needs a historical marker

Here's someones Trainz 12 creation: https://youtu.be/Y6XL2-nIWIw?t=164

[US71]

Here's someones Trainz 12 creation: https://youtu.be/Y6XL2-nIWIw?t=164

Someone needs to reconstruct that as part of a railroad museum.

[index]

Delaware tends to have them near the state police troops.  I track the fatalities along with other agencies within the state so I do make note of them.  However, we don't have any specific to any corridors that I'm aware of, but we're a very small state.

Headquarters (Dover): https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1930891,-75.5458007,3a,23.4y,345.99h,84.95t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sBwnKzNwfPpG3UddZ5xn7dA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Troop 2 (Glasgow): https://www.google.com/maps/@39.6068522,-75.7295941,3a,15.1y,129.43h,87.27t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqIP5u2udKp7F8xQv8FVmxw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Troop 6 (Marshallton): https://www.google.com/maps/@39.7370049,-75.6271773,3a,15.1y,332.4h,89.65t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sizlxoUARsSpWs3lgBUKhKA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

There's also this fire deaths sign on DE-896 between Newark and Glasgow: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.6307109,-75.7438623,3a,15y,214.32h,87.98t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1ss2tRc66Od6di9CGWX7nMwg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3Ds2tRc66Od6di9CGWX7nMwg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D274.74603%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

On a similar, semi-relevant note, north end of the Harry W. Nice bridge has a counter sign for the removal of impaired drivers. It's not a death sign, but nonetheless, the concept is the same.


https://www.google.com/maps/@38.3644424,-76.9750408,3a,15y,109.06h,91.98t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1swIxcllcURTulwZT_YptoLA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

[sparker]

Here's someones Trainz 12 creation: https://youtu.be/Y6XL2-nIWIw?t=164

Someone needs to reconstruct that as part of a railroad museum.

I wonder if somewhere out there is a HO (or even "O" gauge) model of the Billups sign.  Vendors have regularly done "one-offs" of relatively rare locomotives; this sign would be a real hoot on someone's layout (particularly if it followed the prototype in operation -- including the sonics!).

[Scott5114]

I wonder if somewhere out there is a HO (or even "O" gauge) model of the Billups sign.  Vendors have regularly done "one-offs" of relatively rare locomotives; this sign would be a real hoot on someone's layout (particularly if it followed the prototype in operation -- including the sonics!).

I'm not a model-railroad guy, but I would think that 3D printing has done wonders for the hobby. It probably wouldn't be too hard to 3D print the top part of a Billups sign, although I'm not so sure how well the trusses could be represented in that medium.

[skquinn]

On a similar, semi-relevant note, north end of the Harry W. Nice bridge has a counter sign for the removal of impaired drivers. It's not a death sign, but nonetheless, the concept is the same.


https://www.google.com/maps/@38.3644424,-76.9750408,3a,15y,109.06h,91.98t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1swIxcllcURTulwZT_YptoLA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

A subdivision near where I used to live just north of Houston has a sign for the number of traffic citations issued within the subdivision--not accidents, not deaths, just the number of tickets the cops have handed out. Apparently this is supposed to discourage cut-through traffic.

[Ned Weasel]

Arkansas used to have those along US 71.

X number of deaths in the last three years.
Don't you be next.

They were removed when I-540 (now 49) was opened.

I remember those signs from road trips when I was a kid.  I always thought that was an interesting use of language.  The present tense imperative is one of the few cases in English where the verb form implies the subject, but I don't think there's a rule stating that you must omit the subject.  I'm pretty sure "Don't go to the mall" and "Don't you go to the mall" are equally valid.  But this type of construction can lead to confusion in the affirmative.  "Go to the mall" is clearly imperative, but if you say, "You go to the mall," how does one know whether it's imperative or indicative?  That last type of construction is usually indicative.

Maybe it's a good thing the MUTCD hasn't expanded its scope to become grammar police.

Way off topic, but I remember New Jersey used to use black-on-yellow signs reading:

RIGHT LANE
FOR
EXIT ONLY

While most states would use:

RIGHT LANE
EXIT ONLY

It's obvious which takes less space, but it's debatable as to which is better, but the shortened version became MUTCD sign W9-7 with the word "AHEAD" added.

The New Jersey Turnpike also used to use "EXIT X FOR [destination(s)]" in its supplemental guide signs, but the MUTCD's version reverses the order and omits the preposition.  So, while it's not totally being the grammar police, the MUTCD doesn't seem to like prepositions, except for indirect route designations ("to") and secondary destinations ("via," although I'm not even finding that one in the MUTCD unless it's buried deep in a long block of text somewhere).

Fun-loving sign on Ontario's Highway 401:

I really appreciated seeing this sign when I drove the 401 routinely for work.  It's an interesting use of color, though.  Yellow text to imply warning?  Blue panels have more uses in Ontario than they do in the U.S., however, since they're also used for the 407 ETR and the 401's CD roadways, in addition to service signs.

[STLmapboy]

There's a rather famous one in the original 1979 Mad Max that a certain forum member has based his account details on:
https://madmax.fandom.com/wiki/Highway_9,_Sector_26

[TXtoNJ]

The Billups sign really leans into the Faulkner-era Southern Gothic aesthetic, doesn't it? Especially in sepia tones.

[Max Rockatansky]

There's a rather famous one in the original 1979 Mad Max that a certain forum member has based his account details on:
https://madmax.fandom.com/wiki/Highway_9,_Sector_26

Hmmmm...looks familiar. 

[SidS1045]

The Billups sign really leans into the Faulkner-era Southern Gothic aesthetic, doesn't it? Especially in sepia tones.

An animated simulation of the real thing:

[STLmapboy]

The Billups sign really leans into the Faulkner-era Southern Gothic aesthetic, doesn't it? Especially in sepia tones.

An animated simulation of the real thing:

That looks/sounds more apocalyptic than Mad Max...

[thenetwork]

Probably had more deaths there due to heart attacks from drivers who were crossing as it went off.