Dynamic Message Boards

With “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” premiering this week, motorists on Arizona’s highways will see Star Wars-themed safety messages on overhead signs.

PHOENIX – If you’re involved in a freeway fender bender, the misconception that it’s best to stay put can leave you in danger, create hazardous slowing and lane changes for all drivers, and increase risks for emergency responders.

That’s why the Arizona Department of Transportation and Arizona Department of Public Safety need you to know about the practice of Quick Clearance, in which drivers involved in minor crashes that don’t involve injuries get their vehicles out of travel lanes as soon as it’s safe to do so. 

PHOENIX – Control yourself. Control your vehicle. Save lives.

That’s the message the Arizona Department of Transportation is sending to motorists this weekend, urging drivers to make roads safer for everyone by resisting dangerous driving behaviors of speeding, aggressive driving, impaired driving, distracted driving and not wearing a seat belt.

PHOENIX – Halloween brings out more than ghosts and goblins. When the spooky celebration falls on a weekday – this year it’s on Monday – many commuters adjust their routines, leaving work early to get home for trick-or-treating and parties. The result is often a wicked commute.

Given the potential for a cursed commute, the Arizona Department of Transportation recommends the following:

Traffic fatalities on Arizona roads are on pace to exceed 900 for the first time since 2008. You can help change that.

PHOENIX – Traffic fatalities on Arizona roads are rising and selfish drivers are too often to blame.

PHOENIX – Have you captured Pikachu? Nabbed Rattata or the elusive Charizard? Leveled-up and trained your monsters at a Gym?

Of course, we’re talking about Pokémon Go, the week-old smartphone app soaring in popularity. The video game phenomenon is sending Pokémon Trainers to landmarks and into parks, neighborhoods and cities, hunting for rare monsters.

PHOENIX – In the past 10 days, two people working on state highways have been hit and killed by vehicles. These unnecessary and avoidable tragedies illustrate the need for drivers to pay attention in work zones and to give a safe margin of space to vehicles with flashing lights, such as tow trucks and emergency responders.

To remind drivers of the importance of paying attention to their surroundings, ADOT will display the following message this week on overhead signs statewide:

Did you see the overhead sign messages aimed at spring breakers last weekend? A quick trip through our social media mentions shows us that many of you did.

PHOENIX – Over the next few weeks, thousands will take to Arizona’s highways for spring break getaways. Classmates, friends, fraternity brothers, 20-somethings looking to get away from the grind will drive to destinations that are sunny or snowy, relaxing or adventurous, luxurious or frugal and everywhere in between.

At the Arizona Department of Transportation, we want spring breakers to enjoy their escapes. More importantly, we want them to make it home safely. But there’s reason to worry that too many will not.

Message boards are now displaying the estimated travel times seven days a week, from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.

PHOENIX — When fans are making their way along Loop 101 to the NFL's Super Bowl in Glendale on Sunday, the Arizona Department of Transportation will use upgraded technology to help keep drivers informed while the agency tracks traffic conditions on the primary freeway route to University of Phoenix Stadium.

The number of electronic message boards displaying commute times is due to increase to 76 by late this year.

In addition to commute times, travel alerts and various safety messages, ADOT's overhead message boards will now inform drivers of Blue and Silver Alerts.

Nobody enjoys being stuck in traffic, but depending on the time and location of your daily commute, backups are sometimes tough to avoid ...

We’ve got a blog post coming up real soon that’s going to focus on Dynamic Message Signs (Don’t know what those are? Keep reading!).