RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Good morning. I'm Rachel Martin. Too many words - that's how a driver from Seattle got out of a speeding ticket. Jason Canfield was going too fast in a school zone, which earned him a $234 citation. But Canfield said it was the sign's fault. It read, 20 miles per hour when children are present or when flashing. Too much information to absorb in the moment - that's what Canfield argued, and the judge agreed. In writing and apparently in traffic signs, less is more. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.