Be Prepared

Prepare yourself, your vehicle before highway trips in extreme heat

Prepare yourself, your vehicle before highway trips in extreme heat

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Prepare yourself, your vehicle before highway trips in extreme heat

Prepare yourself, your vehicle before highway trips in extreme heat

July 10, 2019

PHOENIX – With merciless temperatures forecast over the coming days, be sure you and your vehicle are prepared before traveling on highways in the Arizona desert.

Motorists should always be ready for the possibility of becoming stranded, but that need is even more critical in extreme heat.

The Arizona Department of Transportation’s safety tips, available at azdot.gov/ExtremeHeat, including the following:

For you and your passengers: Have extra drinking water for everyone in the vehicle, including pets, an umbrella for shade and a fully charged cellphone. Pro tip: Take a cooler to keep extra drinking water cold, and consider adding several frozen bottles of water to use for cooling off or to thaw and drink if needed.

If you must spend extended time along a highway due to a breakdown or some other delay, you’ll need sun protection. In addition to an umbrella, take sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat and wear loose-fitting, light-colored cotton clothing.

For your vehicle: Check the air conditioner and coolant levels, top off any vital engine fluids and make sure your battery is up to par. Check your tire pressure, as the combination of underinflated or overinflated tires and hot pavement can lead to a blowout.

Keep your tank at least three-quarters full. Running out of gas, especially in a remote location, is dangerous in extreme heat.

If your vehicle breaks down, call for assistance right away to reduce your wait, and run the air conditioning. If your vehicle's air conditioner isn’t working, roll down all windows.

Here are other recommendations if you are stranded along the highway in extreme heat:

  • Avoid parking in tall brush. A vehicle’s undercarriage is very hot and can ignite grass and other vegetation.
  • DRINK WATER. Make sure everyone, including pets, stays hydrated.
  • If the temperature inside your vehicle becomes too hot, everyone, including pets, should exit carefully and seek out or create a shaded area as far away from the travel lanes as possible.
  • Be careful walking on the road surface, which can be hot enough to burn skin. Keep your shoes on and try to keep your pets’ paws off the pavement.
  • Raise the hood and turn on hazard lights.

Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov, by calling 511 and through ADOT’s Twitter feed, @ArizonaDOT. When a freeway closure or other major traffic event occurs, our free app available at ADOTAlerts.com will send critical information directly to app users in affected areas – where possible, in advance of alternate routes.

Need a driver license? Save time at the MVD office by going online first

Need a driver license? Save time at the MVD office by going online first

I-17 101 traffic interchange

Need a driver license? Save time at the MVD office by going online first

Need a driver license? Save time at the MVD office by going online first

May 27, 2015

PHOENIX – If you’re applying for a driver license, instructional permit or identification card, you can save time by submitting your application online before heading to a Motor Vehicle Division office.

The Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division wants to remind people of the “Be Prepared” online service that began three years ago.

To begin, go to the ADOT MVD website at azdot.gov/mvd and click on “Driver License Information” under the Driver Services heading. From there, click on the link to complete the driver license/identification card application online and submit it. There is also a link to a list of acceptable proof of identification for applying for a credential.

Once the application has been submitted, print out the confirmation page containing a barcode and bring that along with appropriate identification documents to the MVD office or one of the 14 Authorized Third Party offices that offer driver license services. The printed barcode will allow staff to retrieve your online application from the computer system.

Online applications can be completed for an operator, commercial driver and motorcycle license, as well as an instructional permit and identification card. The applicant must pay the appropriate fee at the office and may be required to take the written or road skills test if necessary.

“This online service is one of several ways the Motor Vehicle Division is saving customers time when they visit an office,” said MVD Director Eric Jorgensen. “We encourage everyone to take advantage of this service and make their visit easier.”

Other tips for faster service in addition to utilizing the online application include:

  • The best days to visit an office are usually Wednesday and Thursday
  • The busiest days tend to be around the 15th and the last day of the month, which are vehicle registration renewal deadlines, as well as the day after a holiday or other office closure
  • If you have an out-of-state driver license or identification card, bring it with you to the office

For more information or questions about the driver license application process, please visit: azdot.gov/driverlicenseinfo.