JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — They’re the signs of summer in an election year: signs advertising yard sales or promoting political candidates. But the Missouri Department of Transportation says they can also be traffic hazards.

MoDOT is asking the public for help in keeping yard signs off state-owned rights of way. The agency says the signs restrict visibility and create obstacles for drivers who need to pull over quickly in emergencies.

MoDOT also says that signs and other objects near a right of way complicate maintenance work and interfere with mowing.

The agency says it tries to contact the owners of unauthorized signs before pulling them up. Those that are removed are held for 30 days and can be retrieved from local maintenance facilities.

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