By John Halikowski / ADOT Director

I am sure you have heard the expression “deer in the headlights” when describing someone who stares and has a frightened look on their face. At the Arizona Department of Transportation, we are alerting drivers to be on the lookout for “deer in the headlights,” literally, on our rural roadways.

Since 2012, more collisions with animals – wildlife, livestock, and family pets – happen this time of year than nearly every other, except for October which sees the most. More than 86 percent of crashes involving animals occur in rural areas.

According to the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the higher-than-average number of wildlife-related crashes this time of year is likely related to the beginning of monsoon season. That means plants become greener and water becomes more available due to the rain. Wildlife will travel greater distances for food and water and that can mean crossing roadways. Coincidentally, we see more motorists traveling to Arizona’s high country and with that the potential for collisions with wildlife.

At ADOT we have implemented some creative solutions that promote safe travel in heavily-traveled migratory corridors. For example, we have wildlife underpasses and elk crossings along State Route 260 east of Payson, desert bighorn sheep overpasses near Hoover Dam on US 93 and two wildlife crossing structures on State Route 77 near Tucson. We have seen a 98 percent reduction in the number of elk-vehicle collisions on SR 260 over a six-year period due to fencing that link the three elk crossings.

As you travel on our rural highways, please pay attention to the signs that indicate wildlife in the area, obey the speed limit, wear your seat belts, and pay attention to the shoulders on the roadways. You will reduce the chance of colliding with an animal.

Enjoy your summer travels and avoid having your own “deer in the headlights” moment.

This post originally appeared on ADOT Director John Halikowski's
LinkedIn page. He has led the agency since 2009.

By John Halikowski / ADOT Director

With Arizona’s monsoon season upon us, the Arizona Department of Transportation wants to remind residents and visitors of the do’s and don’ts while traveling on our interstates and highways, especially when dust storms warnings are announced.

Dust storms can be dangerous and even deadly to drive through. Our mantra has and always will be “Pull Aside, Stay Alive.” If you are traveling on our roadways and an overhead message board signals blowing dust in the area, be vigilant and be ready to pull over onto the side of the road or drive to the nearest exit ramp to go to a safe location to wait out the storm. Don’t drive through a dust storm!

Turn your headlights off including emergency flashers and dome lights, set the parking brake and then keep your foot off the brake. Why? We get asked that question a lot. If you become caught in a dust storm and have pulled off the highway, you’re in a dangerous spot – less dangerous than driving blind on the road – and want to hide. You can do that by turning off all vehicle lights. If you leave your lights on, drivers behind you might believe you’ve found the way out and follow, crashing into your parked car because low-visibility affects depth perception.

Wear your seat belt at all times. Make sure your passengers are also buckled up to keep them safe. Stay in your vehicle. With low visibility, you can easily get injured if you step away from your vehicle.

ADOT has produced 30-second public service announcements on dust storm awareness. The PSAs are airing statewide on television and radio throughout monsoon season as part of our partnership with the Arizona Broadcasters Association, and can be viewed at pullasidestayalive.org.

Flash flooding is also a concern during monsoon season. Downpours can cause instant flooding and wash out roadways especially in low lying areas. Obey road signs and don’t drive through a desert wash that is flooded.

ADOT has more information on dust storm safety at PullAsideStayAlive.org and driving in rainstorms, azdot.gov/monsoon.

Following these simple driving safety tips can mean the difference in staying safe during our monsoon season.

Remember, our fatalities are going up. Speed and intoxicated driving is the problem. Take control of yourself before you take control of the wheel.
 

This post originally appeared on ADOT Director John Halikowski's
LinkedIn page. He has led the agency since 2009.

By John Halikowski / ADOT Director

In 1979, ADOT had the privilege of working with the late Bil Keane, famed cartoonist and creator of Family Circus. Bil created a special cartoon featuring the family motoring down an Arizona highway, going the speed limit of 55 mph, in recognition of National Transportation Week. Of course, no “Family Circus” cartoon would be complete without the children – Billy, Jeffy, Dolly and PJ – voicing their comments to the sights and sounds they experienced on this family road trip. One of the cartoon voice bubbles reads “One of the reasons we don’t drive fast, Jeffy is so we can count the cactus.”Since 1962, Congress has designated the third week of May as National Transportation Week. It also includes a proclamation by our president that highlights the important role transportation has in contributing to our nation’s economy and to communities across the country. This year, National Transportation Week is May 13-19 and provides an opportunity for us at the Arizona Department of Transportation to take a walk down memory lane.

I’m sure you can relate to family road trips in the car, taking in famous landmarks and visiting relatives on the other side of the country, not to mention the memorable conversations. What made those road trips possible is transportation – making sure you arrived to your destination safely. Transportation is indeed personal.

As we celebrate the important role transportation performs in our everyday lives during National Transportation Week, let us drive safely and not distracted, wear our seat belts, and obey the speed limits. There is no better message that one of the Keane children makes in the car, “Drive carefully, Daddy, so we don’t get dead!” Such a powerful message that still resonates today!

This post originally appeared on ADOT Director John Halikowski's 
LinkedIn page. He has led the agency since 2009.

By John Halikowski / ADOT Director

How many volunteers does it take to keep Arizona highways clean and beautiful? Approximately 800 volunteers this past year kept 1,500 miles of highway clean, collected 14,000 bags of trash — that’s a lot of trash — and saved Arizona taxpayers $500,000 in clean-up costs. I want to thank these dedicated volunteers who spent their time keeping our highways clear of litter.

At ADOT, we recently recognized these volunteers with special certificates and letters of appreciation as part of National Volunteer Week.

It’s too bad that we need volunteers to pick up trash on our roadways. We need to change the culture that littering isn’t tolerated.

With the monsoon season approaching, it is especially important that we remind everyone that trash is a big problem in clogging our drainage system. We need our pump stations to work efficiently to remove water from the freeways in order to avoid road closures. Yes, that bag of fast-food wrappers you toss from your window on the highway, could contribute to roadway flooding.

We have an Adopt-A-Highway program where roadways can be sponsored and “adopted” by individuals, corporations, schools, etc. with the promise of keeping these roadways clean and beautiful. Please visit our Adopt-A-Highway website if you are interested in becoming a volunteer or wish to sponsor/adopt a specific segment of roadway in the state. Unfortunately, we are always in need of more help.

Let’s all do our part to keep our Arizona highways clean and beautiful. The less I have to talk about trash, the better.

By John Halikowski / ADOT Director

Traffic fatalities in Arizona, and nationwide, are climbing. Every year since 2014, the number of people killed annually in car crashes on Arizona’s city streets, county roads and state highways has increased.

Beginning this week, you’ll be able to see the life-and-death consequences that selfish driving decisions have on Arizona’s motorists. We’re placing a feature on the ADOT homepage that displays the number of people killed in traffic collisions since Jan. 1, 2018, on Arizona’s roads. This number will be updated weekly.

Our aim in sharing this number and updating it weekly is to make the public aware that drivers’ actions have real-life consequences. We must reverse the trend of rising traffic fatalities.

I say “we” because ADOT can’t do this alone. Here’s why: Even if there were zero fatal crashes on the state highway system in 2017, the number of traffic fatalities in Arizona still would have numbered in the hundreds because 66 percent of fatal crashes occurred on city streets, county highways and reservation roads.

The change must begin in the driver’s seat. More than 90 percent of crashes are caused by driver behavior. Speeding, impairment, distraction and aggressive driving are leading factors in fatal crashes. These are all behaviors we can choose not to engage in.

When drivers stop being selfish – your text isn’t as important as someone’s life – our roads will be safer for all of us.

This post originally appeared on ADOT Director John Halikowski's LinkedIn page. He has led the agency since 2009.

By John Halikowski / ADOT Director

Work zone safety means something extra to us at the Arizona Department of Transportation.

I take a lot of pride in our dedication and professionalism when it comes to safety. Cutting corners and doing less than our best when it comes to safety is not an option. Many ADOT employees spend their days working in roadways alongside fast-moving vehicles. And, frankly, some cars are traveling too fast. While some motorists might see work zones as inconveniences that add minutes to a commute, they are necessary environments that make it safer for us to build, maintain and improve roadway travel in Arizona, while keeping the traveling public safe, too.

This week, April 9-13, is Work Zone Safety Awareness Week, a nationwide effort to focus on work zone safety and our responsibility to drive safe. Here in Arizona, we have lit the Arizona State Capitol dome orange and Governor Doug Ducey has proclaimed this week as Work Zone Awareness Week. If you have the chance, stop by to see the Capitol dome illuminated in orange between dusk and dawn.

I am sure you have seen first-hand the damage done by speed, distraction and impairment. Poor judgment and choices by drivers cause these crashes that are preventable and should never have happened. All of us must set the example and drive safely in order to reduce the number of vehicle collisions that occur each year in Arizona.

To our ADOT men and women who work on and around our state’s roadways, thank you for your dedicated and professional work. To the rest of us, please join me in changing our culture to one of “Safety First” by reminding friends and family to use good judgment and make smart decisions behind the wheel.

This post originally appeared on ADOT Director John Halikowski's LinkedIn page. He has led the agency since 2009.

By John Halikowski / ADOT Director

Anytime change occurs, there will be skepticism. When the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division unveiled the new “Permit Test @ Home” this month, we heard a little bit of that. But I’m confident these concerns are misplaced and will diminish over time.

At ADOT, safety is our first priority and the vision of MVD is to get Arizona out of line and safely on the road. Our innovations will adhere to that standard.

The Permit Test @ Home is a common-sense, convenient method for teenage potential drivers to take the written permit test. It requires the parent or guardian to set up an account at our new AZ MVD Now portal, which is accessed through ServiceArizona.com. The parent or guardian must input his or her driver license number as well as other secure identifying information and then affirm that the test will be appropriately proctored. For good measure, a disclaimer reminds people that parents are responsible for their children’s actions behind the wheel. Finally, when the parent and teenager eventually go together to an MVD office to get the actual permit, this secure information will be confirmed with the parent or guardian standing right there.

Online methods for testing aren’t new. Defensive driving schools, not to mention plenty of universities and trade certification agencies, have tested online for years. The Permit Test @ Home follows that concept and it’s just one portion of educating a driver. It gives the family time at home to study the drivers’ manual and even take online practice tests. These are meaningful ways to learn, and once the learner is eligible for an actual license, a road test is required.

Arizonans should know that the people who work for ADOT are not just implementing new ideas in a vacuum. We are consumers of our own services and we drive the same roads as everyone else. Naturally, we want well-educated, competent drivers of all ages, and the Permit Test @ Home helps us reach that goal.

This post originally appeared on ADOT Director John Halikowski's
LinkedIn page. He has led the agency since 2009.

By John Halikowski / ADOT Director

With more than 35 percent of the South Mountain Freeway construction project complete, the state’s largest single highway project ever is on schedule to open by late 2019. I commend our ADOT staff and Connect 202 Partners for keeping this large construction project on schedule.

It is hard to imagine the amount of materials needed to build this project. To date, crews have installed 8 miles of drainage pipe, moved 3.6 million cubic yards of dirt and used 2,900 tons of rebar manufactured from recycled steel.

Motorists in the West Valley are witnessing the building of the 1-10 interchange at 59th Avenue along with ramps and two direct HOV lane connections. New access roads parallel to I-10 between 51st and 67th avenues are taking shape. Construction of the 40 bridges and one pedestrian bridge continues this year. Construction crews have painted one of the interchanges along the Pecos segment that uses design elements from Frank Lloyd Wright.

The South Mountain Freeway is a vital economic development project for the region. As I have said before, this freeway connects people with employment, entertainment and educational centers.

To stay up-to-date on construction and traffic alerts, please visit www.azdot.gov/SouthMountainFreeway.

This post originally appeared on ADOT Director John Halikowski's
LinkedIn page. He has led the agency since 2009.

By John Halikowski / ADOT Director

Collaboration among Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, Sonoran Governor Claudia Pavlovich, the Arizona-Mexico Commission, and my transportation counterparts in Sonora, ADOT has been excited to support the Sonoran government with the creation of a safety corridor for Mexico Route 8 between Lukeville and the beaches in Puerto Peñasco. This safety corridor effort will enhance safety on the road to Rocky Point.

The safety corridor is expected to be in place before spring break in March. The corridor will include a safety analysis of the road and signs with safety messages in both Spanish and English. Mexican first responders, military and government officials have been trained by ADOT personnel on how to remove crashes quickly from the two-lane highway, restore traffic flow and reduce secondary crashes that often occur when roads are blocked by using our Traffic Incident Management techniques (tim.az.gov).

The idea of the safety corridor came about from our ADOT-sponsored truck safety courses in Hermosillo, Sonora. ADOT saw the opportunity to collaborate on an important safety issue that has the potential to benefit both U.S. and Mexican citizens.

In addition to the safety corridor, we will be integrating Sonora traffic incidents into the Arizona 511 Traffic Information Systems (az511.gov) to assist drivers on both sides of the border.

Collaboration between Arizona and Sonora is what made the safety corridor a reality. It speaks to the strong working relationship we have developed to improve transportation, tourism and trade for the region.

This post originally appeared on ADOT Director John Halikowski's
LinkedIn page. He has led the agency since 2009.

By John Halikowski / ADOT Director

Do you remember seeing the message, “THAT’S THE TEMPERATURE-NOT THE SPEED LIMIT,” on an overhead sign above Arizona state highways? It was one of the winning entries to the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Safety Message Contest. The public’s response to this contest was incredible that we are asking for your ideas again for this year. Entries can be submitted at azdot.gov/signcontest until Feb. 26.

With nearly 7,000 entries submitted last year, I am looking forward to what the public sees as important in changing driver behavior and making safer the roads we travel every day. Last year’s messages ran the gamut from creative and funny to heartfelt and serious.

ADOT’s displays quirky safety messages, which are often related to current events and pop culture, as part of our ongoing effort to encourage drivers to change their actions behind the wheel. More than 90 percent of vehicle crashes are caused by driver decisions, such as speeding, driving aggressively, distracted or impaired.

After entries have been submitted, ADOT will select 15 finalists. Like last year, the public will then vote for their favorites and the two messages that receive the most votes will appear on overhead signs above Arizona state highways.

So, get those creative minds going. We want to see messages that capture attention and spark a reaction. We want messages that educate and entertain while encouraging conversations about safe driving.

This post originally appeared on ADOT Director John Halikowski's
LinkedIn page. He has led the agency since 2009.