PHOENIX – Arizona, show us your creativity. It might save a life.

You've seen the quirky safety messages the Arizona Department of Transportation displays on overhead signs – remember “Hello from the other side, buckle up and stay alive” and “New year, new you, use your blinker”?

Now, ADOT is kicking off its Safety Message Contest, and the winning safety slogan will appear on signs statewide. Beginning today, safety messages can be submitted at azdot.gov/signcontest until Feb. 19.

ADOT began placing unconventional safety messages on overhead signs more than a year ago in an effort to kick-start a change in social acceptance of impaired driving, distracted driving, speeding, aggressive driving and other dangerous driving behaviors.

“At ADOT, we bring up the example of imagining someone walking into a preschool and lighting up a cigarette,” said Kevin Biesty, ADOT Deputy Director for Policy. “Forget that it’s illegal; it’s completely socially unacceptable. No one would ever even think to do that and if they did they’d be ostracized. That’s what we want to see happen to drivers that choose to make roads less safe for all of us. Tell them it’s not OK and it can’t happen anymore. We want to get to a point where impaired driving, distracted driving, speeding and aggressive driving are socially unacceptable and the messages ADOT displays on signs are a good way to start those conversations.”

Many of the messages ADOT displays on overhead boards relate to driver behaviors, which are among the leading factors in crashes that result in fatalities and serious injuries. Other messages remind motorists to “Move Over,” wear seat belts, look out for motorcycles and more.

When creating your messages – submit as many as you like! – follow these guidelines: 

• Signs accommodate three lines and 18 characters, including spaces, per line
• #Hashtags, phone numbers and website addresses are not allowed
• Signs can’t accommodate emoji L

After Feb. 19, ADOT will review submissions and select 15 messages to advance to the next round. In March, we’ll post the finalists on our website and let the public decide the winner.

The winning message will appear on Dynamic Message Signs for two days in April.

We can’t wait to see what you come up with. Have fun and good luck!

An Adele-inspired message struck a chord when ADOT Blog followers voted on their favorite safety slogans of 2016.

"Hello from the other side, buckle up & stay alive," which appeared on electronic message boards in August, had received more than 3,300 votes as of Wednesday, Jan. 4.

The runner-up was "Gobble, gobble go easy on the throttle," which got roughly 3,200 votes. "Mash potatoes not your head, buckle up," another Thanksgiving weekend offering, was third with more than 3,000 votes.

The informal online poll launched Dec. 28 had participants give thumbs-up or thumbs-down to 10 safety slogans that appeared on ADOT message boards this past year.

ADOT posted more than 30 targeted safety messages during 2016.

ADOT's Facebook page offered a chance for participants to sound off on messages that didn't make the list of finalists. The most common complaint: not seeing Stars Wars-themed messages, including those timed with the release of "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," such as "Join the rebellion against distracted driving."

Other top-rated messages were “Pokemon Go is a no-go when driving” and "Designated drivers make the best New Year’s dates," both with around 2,800 votes, and "Dumb drivers and smartphones don’t mix," with about 2,700 votes.

We're leaving the poll up, and who knows what the future may bring. But since some people have asked us for a winner, here you go.

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. 

No one wants to be in this situation, but with a vehicle crash occurring almost every five minutes in Arizona, everyone should know how best to stay safe following a minor, non-injury collision. 

Reasons for practicing Quick Clearance begin with a state law that requires a driver involved in a minor crash without injuries to remove a vehicle from the roadway if it is operable and can be moved safely. Doing this is safer for drivers involved in the crash, fellow motorists and emergency responders.

 “Many drivers have been taught not to move their vehicles until law enforcement arrives on scene, but that is not correct,” said DPS Sgt. John Paul Cartier. “Every traffic incident management principle confirms drivers can greatly impact safety, reduce congestion and reduce secondary collisions. Drivers who comply with Quick Clearance state law make a positive difference in many lives.”

 Quickly moving your vehicle out of travel lanes provides a safer environment to inspect your car for damage. Moving your vehicle to the emergency shoulder, median or exiting the highway also provides a safer environment for first responders and keeps travel lanes clear for other vehicles, reducing the chance of a secondary collision. Of the 29 DPS troopers killed in the line of duty, 11 were struck and killed in secondary crashes on state highways.

 ADOT and DPS are promoting Quick Clearance as part of a nationwide effort among transportation, law enforcement and other first responder agencies and organizations as part of National Traffic Incident Management Week (Nov. 13-19). On Wednesday and Thursday, many overhead highway signs statewide will display the following message:

FENDER BENDER?

SAVE YOUR REAR

AND QUICKLY CLEAR

If you are involved in a crash, the first action to take is to make sure you and occupants in your vehicle are OK. Then, if your vehicle is operable, move to the emergency shoulder, median or exit the highway and call 911. Stay out of travel lanes, be alert and watch approaching traffic. Remember: Never leave the scene of a crash.

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.

“Drivers really need to wake up and take responsibility for their behavior. When a person chooses to take control and grip the steering wheel, they are literally taking control of their own safety, as well as the safety of every other person with them on the roads,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski. “Don’t make dumb choices like drinking, texting, speeding and behaving aggressively while driving. I am ringing the alarm bell on traffic fatalities. Not controlling your behavior will wind up costing a life. Control yourself and control your vehicle. The life you save may be your own. Don’t lose control – don’t drive dumb.”

As part of an ongoing effort to increase driver awareness of the important role each of us plays in making roads safer for everyone, ADOT will display the following message on overhead highway signs from Thursday evening through Sunday.

According to preliminary data, Arizona remains on pace to exceed 900 traffic fatalities this year. The key issue behind fatal crashes on any roadway is driver behavior. If drivers stopped speeding, stopped driving aggressively, impaired or distracted, a significant number of lives – hundreds of lives – could be saved each year.

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:

• If possible, try to make an earlier start in the afternoon to avoid the scariest traffic. Freeway traffic builds between 4-6 p.m. in what has come to be known as the “witching hour.”
• Be patient and recognize that it may take longer to get home. Take your time.
• Don’t let down your guard when you’re nearing home. Remember: superheroes, princesses and too-old-to-be-trick-or-treating teenagers will be crossing streets in your neighborhood and might not be paying attention.

Beginning Saturday morning and lasting through Halloween, ADOT’s overhead message boards statewide will display this safety message: 

Failure to wear a seat belt is one of the leading factors in traffic deaths on Arizona’s state highways, county roads and city streets. In 2015, 29 percent of the 895 people killed in vehicle crashes in Arizona weren’t wearing seat belts.