If You Actually Drive The Speed Limit (Or Lower) In Texas, This Sign Will Hype You Up

“Speeding is one of the deadliest problems on [Texan] roads,” according to the Texas Department of Transportation Executive Director Marc Williams. The agency recorded over 160,000 speeding-related crashes and more than 1,400 fatalities in 2023, which prompted a crackdown on speeding drivers that was launched in parallel with an anti-speeding campaign the following year.

The state is also running an ongoing campaign called EndTheStreakTX, which highlights that at least one person dies on Texan roads every day. The last day without a fatality was November 7th, 2000. These crackdowns and campaigns are undoubtedly important, but they focus on getting the message across to speeding drivers. Meanwhile, drivers who consistently drive under the limit aren’t rewarded — that is, until one insurance company decided to take a different approach.

A recent marketing campaign by Lemonade insurance saw the company build a custom sign that was placed on roads around Austin, TX. It featured a speed detector and a message board that displayed a customized message to drivers who were travelling at or under the posted speed limit. In a video showcasing the stunt, a Tesla driver is told that their speed is “absolutely gorgeous,” while a Kia SUV driver is told that they “understand the assignment.” Meanwhile, drivers who were clocked driving over the speed limit received no message at all.

Lemonade’s sign takes the opposite approach to most other speed warning signs, which flash a message to drivers who are travelling too fast. The idea was hatched in collaboration with a creative agency called Cash Studio, and speaking to Fast Company, the agency’s founder Ivan Cash said they chose Texas for the campaign because “our research … found that only 10% of drivers actually follow the speed limit.”

That’s despite the fact that Texas has the road with the fastest speed limit sign in America. The 85 mph sign is located on State Highway 130, and has been in place since the highway opened in 2012. Texas also has the highest overall speed limits of any state, beating South Dakota and Idaho. The Lone Star State is evidence that higher speed limits alone do not result in fewer speeding drivers, but equally, years of enforcement efforts by authorities haven’t dampened Texan drivers’ need for speed either. It seems a major change in driving habits will only happen with a change of approach, and Lemonade’s custom sign is one of the most fun ways of encouraging drivers to slow down.