And the winners in ADOT’s 2026 Safety Message Contest are …

After 1,700 submissions and more than 3,900 votes, Arizonans have chosen two traffic safety messages as the winners in ADOT’s tenth annual Safety Message Contest!

We invited the public to vote on 10 finalists and the winning messages are: 

MAIN CHARACTERS
ALWAYS WEAR
SEATBELTS

DON’T BE A
STATISTIC, DON’T
DRIVE BALLISTIC

I’m excited that thousands of Arizonans continue to participate in this contest, year after year. It’s an engaging way to get people thinking and talking about traffic safety, and this year’s messages encourage all drivers to wear their seatbelt and to drive with care. 

Crashes don’t just happen. They’re the result of choices. And according to national crash data, more than 90% of vehicle crashes are caused by driver behavior. 

I hope drivers will take these messages to heart and choose to make better decisions behind the wheel. When we all stay alert and don’t drive distracted, and make sure everyone in our cars is buckled up, we’re all safer. Join me in being a good driver so we can arrive safely to our destinations.