What happened
While en route to his destination, the pilot realized that he had forgotten his approach charts. Because the destination airport was experiencing instrument meteorological conditions, the pilot began searching for a nearby airport that would allow for a landing under visual flight rules (VFR).
During this search for an alternative airport, both the left and right main fuel tanks reached fuel exhaustion. The pilot estimated that approximately five gallons of fuel remained in each of the aircraft's tip tanks. Due to the lack of fuel in the main tanks, the pilot decided to perform a precautionary landing on a highway.
During the landing roll on the roadway, the aircraft collided with a road marker sign. The pilot was not injured during the incident.