Pull Aside Stay Alive

PHOENIX – Towering haboobs, dense dust storms, flash flooding and blinding dust channels. These are some of the dangers Arizona drivers face during monsoon season.

The Arizona Department of Transportation, Arizona Department of Public Safety, National Weather Service and other agencies are reminding drivers during Monsoon Awareness Week how to stay safe on roadways when dust storms arrive.

The Pull Aside, Stay Alive campaign urges motorists caught in low-visibility blowing dust to pull off the roadway and turn off all vehicle lights. Today's blog explains why.

PHOENIX ‒ With the weekend forecast calling for gusty winds along with the possibility of snow in higher elevations, motorists should be on alert for adverse weather including blowing dust and limited visibility, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Even though monsoon season hasn’t started, blowing dust is possible throughout the year. ADOT’s safety tips for blowing dust, available at PullAsideStayAlive.org, include:

PHOENIX – As the summer monsoon season continues to bring thunderstorms and an increased risk of dust storms, the Arizona Department of Transportation is bolstering its efforts to warn motorists about the dangers of dust storms with a new partnership with OUTFRONT Media’s digital billboards in the Phoenix metro area.

Fourteen digital billboards, boldly stating “Don’t Drive Into A Dust Storm” in uppercase letters, are now posted prominently near two of the busiest freeways in the Phoenix metro area – Interstate 10 and Interstate 17.

As you can see in these photos from decades past, ADOT was working to warn motorists about the dangers of dust storms way back in the 1970s.

Drivers are reminded to ‘Pull Aside, Stay Alive’ this monsoon season.

We created a dust storm playlist that reflects the musical messages of dust storm safety. #PullAsideStayAlive

A look at what ADOT and other agencies are working toward in regards to dust storm safety.

If you’ve got 17 syllables to spare, we want to hear from you because #HaboobHaiku is back!

We’re headed into monsoon season, which means motorists need to be on alert. High winds, blowing dust and other conditions that can impact your drive are more common this time of year.

Our new "Pull Aside, Stay Alive" video helps spread dust storm safety message.

Taken in 1979 at 19th Avenue and the Salt River in Phoenix, these pictures in today's blog post show an area before and during a pretty intense-looking dust storm.

ADOT has been recognized for its communications efforts with six national awards, winning first-place honors in every skills contest the agency competed in.

The results are in ... check the video above for a look at the top #HaboobHaikus from this year as voted on by the public!

Who says safety messages have to be humorless or uninteresting? Not us and certainly not anyone out there who has taken part in Haboob Haiku: Year Two!

We’re loving all the Haboob Haikus that have been rolling in this week… Like last year, this poetry challenge with the funny name has helped us accomplish an important goal, which is to get people talking about the danger of driving in dust storms. Because we cannot forget that dust storms can pose very real risks to motorists in this state – just take a look at the video above for proof.

Last year, ADOT launched its very first “Haboob Haiku” challenge in an effort to spread the word about dust storm safety and the response was pretty amazing. That’s actually a huge understatement ... Not only did we receive over 600 original haikus (some even by phone and snail mail), but #HaboobHaiku yielded stories in media outlets all over the world (they even wrote about it in New Zealand!).

The wait is over ... today's the day we announce the top Haboob Haikus as voted for by the public. Before you watch the video above to see if your favorite was selected, we just want to give a big thanks to everyone who participated in the 2012 Haboob Haiku challenge!

When Haboob Haikus made the news all the way in New Zealand, we started to realize this Twitter challenge of ours was really taking off! Who could have guessed that #HaboobHaiku would end up yielding more than 500 stories in worldwide media outlets?

We're headed into monsoon season (the official start is today) and those dusty, unpredictable storms are on their way...