Top five reasons to download the ADOT Alerts app

Top five reasons to download the ADOT Alerts app

Top five reasons to download the ADOT Alerts app

November 2, 2017

By Doug Pacey / ADOT Communications

We launched our ADOT Alerts app this week, and it’s something you might rarely have the chance to use.

And that’s a good thing.

But you’ll definitely want to download ADOT Alerts, and here’s why:

If there’s an unplanned, major traffic impact in your area, you’ll be notified so you can choose to take an alternate route or delay your travel plans.
We’ll also send alerts that warn motorists of potentially dangerous situations affecting highway travel, like dust storms and wrong-way drivers.
Alerts will sent to targeted locations, so you might receive an alert when you’re at home, school, work or anywhere else. That way, you’ll be informed a traffic incident long before you get on the highway and can avoid driving into a backup.
Because alerts will be sent to targeted locations, we won’t blow up your smartphone with notifications that aren’t relevant.
ADOT Alerts is free – it runs on iOS and Android mobile devices.

After downloading the app, be sure to enable Location Services and Notifications. That’s it. The next time you use the app might be when it notifies you of a highway closure with enough warning to re-route and avoid getting stuck in the backup.

Oh, there’s one more reason to download ADOT Alerts: You can enter to win one of 200 $20 gift cards from Dutch Bros Arizona. Here’s how to enter:

Download the app.
Enable Notifications and Location Services.
Wait to get an alert that sends you a link to the contest page where you can enter. You won't receive this alert right away after downloading. We'll send these alerts a few times a week through December, so keep an eye out, and winners will be notified in January.

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Arizona DOT launches ‘ADOT Alerts’ free travel app

Arizona DOT launches ‘ADOT Alerts’ free travel app

Arizona DOT launches ‘ADOT Alerts’ free travel app

November 1, 2017

PHOENIX – Available now for your mobile device: A free app from the Arizona Department of Transportation that will help you avoid unplanned and lengthy travel delays, and other serious highway hazards.

ADOT Alerts will help keep drivers moving on Arizona’s highways and away from potentially dangerous situations by providing information to drivers before they are trapped on a highway closed because of a crash or severe weather. Using geofencing technology, ADOT will send alerts to mobile devices with the app in affected areas and in advance of roadway decision points, giving the public plenty of time to choose an alternate route or delay their travel plans and avoid sitting in lengthy backups.

“We’re excited about ADOT Alerts because the app will help us quickly get critical information directly to motorists,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “With that information, travelers can make a decision to take a different route or stop somewhere for a bite to eat or stay where they’re at, and avoid sitting in a long backup because of an unplanned event, like a serious crash that closes a highway. We can also alert motorists to public safety issues, like wrong-way vehicles or severe weather affecting state highways."

ADOT Alerts goes beyond providing daily commuting reports and travel times – ADOT already provides that kind of real-time information to drivers via overhead message boards and social media, not to mention the numerous traffic and navigation apps that also offer that kind of information. By using geofencing, ADOT can send alerts only to mobile devices with the app in an impacted area. That means affected motorists can make a decision to re-route or delay their travel plans long before encountering a traffic backup.

All alerts are sent by a public information officer at ADOT’s Traffic Operations Center to ensure they are accurate, critical in nature and appropriately targeted to a geographic area.

To get the most out of ADOT Alerts, enable Location Services and Push Notifications so you can be immediately notified of the most relevant alerts in your area. That way, whenever ADOT sends an alert to an area your mobile device is in, it will pop up on your device’s screen with a distinctive alert sound.

Users do not have to sign up, register or create a log-in to use the app. You remain 100 percent anonymous.

The app can be downloaded free of charge in Apple’s App Store and Google Play. Search for “ADOT Alerts” in the respective app store.

“The introduction of the ADOT Alerts app is one more way ADOT is working to promote highway safety and reduce frustrations for drivers,” Halikowski said. “We want drivers to be informed about issues, knowledgeable about options, and up-to-date on hazards. We hope this app – along with AZ511 and our social media outreach – will prove to be a major advancement in our efforts to connect with drivers.”

More information about the app can be found at ADOTAlerts.com.