Over Memorial Day Weekend, drive focused and designate a driver

The heat is here and a long three-day weekend is ahead to mark the unofficial start to summer. And with people planning road trips over Memorial Day weekend, we want to remind drivers to stay focused and expect the unexpected. 

But, before we go any further, we do hope you’ll take some time over the next few days to remember the reason for the holiday and honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country and freedom. 

If you’re out on Arizona highways, you may see some overhead message signs displaying safety messages encouraging motorists to stay focused and designate a driver. No matter where you’re going — a parade, a cookout, or a galaxy far, far away to see the new “Mandalorian and Grogu” movie — we want you to get there and back home safely. 

Have a game plan in place before you head out of how you’re getting back home. Calling a rideshare or designating a driver instead of driving impaired always passes the vibe check. This is the way. 

As a reminder, wildfires are a threat, and can cause highway closures for public safety. Some of our overhead message boards will display a traffic safety message encouraging drivers to not drag chains. Securely attaching trailer chains so they don’t drag on the pavement is something we all can do to help lower the risk of our vehicles starting a wildfire. 

We hope these messages help start important conversations about traffic safety and ultimately help influence drivers to make better decisions behind the wheel.