By Tom Herrmann / ADOT Communications

You’ve heard this one before: Everyone talks about the weather, but no one does anything about it.

Perhaps.

Weather professionals, scientists, engineers and others met recently at Central Arizona College to talk about a weather phenomenon that seems to strike in Arizona more than anywhere else: dust storms. It’s the fifth consecutive year the group has come together to talk about how to make Arizona roads safer when winds out in front of storms kick up a wall of dust.

Dust Detection Program

This year's program included ADOT engineer Reza Karimvand explaining an innovative dust detection project planned for a stretch of I-10 near Picacho. It will identify when blowing dust has reduced visibility and automatically set in motion electronic messages and lower speed limits to reduce the danger for drivers. This system, which could become a model for other states, is expected to advertise for bids this summer, Karimvand said.

Another prime topic: education. One participant suggested putting dust storm information on the test for a driver license. Another suggested an education program for the trucking industry modeled after ADOT’s Pull Aside, Stay Alive campaign, which has been in place since 2011.

Technology can help make roads like Interstate 10 safer, but the best defense against blowing dust may just be an old standby: personal responsibility. Whatever technology brings, it will never be safe to drive into a dust storm. So don't.

By Kira Frost / ADOT Meteorology Intern

If you've lived in Arizona very long, you've probably heard the terms dust storm and haboob a few times. You may not have known there are three different types of dust storms with unique characteristics.

Below are the three types of dust storms and their causes.

Winter storms: These storms are caused by strong winds over a large desert areas gusting dust up into the air, creating hazy conditions. These storms, which usually occur from winter to early spring, can reduce visibility and air quality.

Monsoonal storms: Haboobs originate from monsoonal storm activity and the severe atmosphere that also creates thunderstorms. This atmosphere causes a down draft or microburst of air that blasts downward, kicking dust into the air and creating a wall of thick dust. Haboobs can travel quickly and be as wide as 100 miles. Avoid travel when these strong monsoon storms hit.

Channelized Dust: This phenomenon is different that the two above, which can be predicted, seen and thus avoided. Channelized dust has proven more fatal and hazardous for Arizona highways because it can occur during any season and pop out of nowhere. When the right amount of forceful wind travels over dry deserts, a channel of dust can kick up and spiral across a highway, reducing visibility to nothing in mere seconds.

Since you may encounter these storms unexpectedly, you need to be prepared. ADOT's Pull Aside Stay Alive safety campaign aims to keep drivers safe when the dust blows.

Tips for drivers caught in a dust storm:

• Avoid driving into or through a dust storm.
• If you encounter a dust storm, check traffic immediately around your vehicle (front, back and to the side) and begin slowing down.
• Do not wait until poor visibility makes it difficult to safely pull off the roadway – do it as soon as possible. Completely exit the highway if you can.
• Do not stop in a travel lane or in the emergency lane; look for a safe place to pull completely off the paved portion of the roadway.
• Stop your vehicle in a position ensuring it is a safe distance from the main roadway and away from where other vehicles may travel.
• Turn off all vehicle lights, including your emergency flashers.
• Set your emergency brake and take your foot off the brake.
• Stay in the vehicle with your seat belts buckled and wait for the storm to pass.
• Drivers of high-profile vehicles should be especially aware of changing weather conditions and travel at reduced speeds in high wind.
• A driver’s alertness and driving ability are always the top factors in preventing crashes. It is your responsibility to avoid distracted or impaired driving.

Editor's Note: ASU’s School of Geographical Sciences & Urban Planning has partnered with ADOT to place graduate-level meteorology students in the ADOT Traffic Operations Center. This allows ADOT to have better information about weather conditions and more quickly determine how to deploy crews and communicate with the public.

By John Halikowski / ADOT Director

For those of us in Arizona, summertime means much higher temperatures during the day, not-so-cool nights in the desert, and the monsoon that brings memorable lightning shows and dust storms. The weather officials designate monsoon season from mid-June to mid-September. At ADOT, our crews remind everyone of the do’s and don’ts of driving through a dust storm with our "Pull Aside, Stay Alive" education campaign. Your safety is important to us at ADOT, so I encourage you to follow our messages and avoid driving into or through a dust storm.

ADOT is doing more than an education campaign. We are partnering with Arizona State University in having a meteorology graduate student work with our Traffic Operations Center in Phoenix, monitoring weather and providing real-time insight into changing conditions. We can deploy our crews and communicate to the public on pending weather conditions, like dust storms, to make our roads safer for travel, especially during the monsoon. It is a unique partnership I’m proud exists at the agency.

This past month, we witnessed the need to close I-10 in both directions several times near San Simon due to blowing dust from a neighboring farm. Through that effort, we are witnessing enhanced coordination with multiple state agencies. Besides the law enforcement activity associated with closing a major highway during a dust storm, it sometimes requires us to work with other agencies like the Arizona departments of Agriculture or Environmental Quality to assist with dust mitigation efforts. As always, the Arizona Department of Public Safety is a key partner.

For the future, ADOT will work closely with the Arizona Department of Public Safety on implementing variable speed limits when weather conditions like dust storms warrant a reduction in the speed limit for safety.

Drive safely this summer. And wait on washing your vehicle until the monsoon ends!

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

By Dallas Hammit / ADOT Deputy Director for Transportation

This month’s Driving Safety Home message was going to focus solely on Pull Aside, Stay Alive, ADOT’s annual safety campaign that coincides with the start of summer’s monsoon season. But then, recently, within the span of just a few days, two people working on state highways were hit and killed by vehicles.

On the morning of June 13, a passenger car struck and killed an employee of a contractor working on an ADOT project as he was removing barricades from Loop 101 Pima Freeway in Scottsdale. Earlier in the month, a box truck hit and killed a tow company driver responding to a stalled vehicle on Interstate 10 near Benson.

These tragedies show us all just how important it is for drivers to limit distractions and pay attention on the road.

I still want to provide details on dust storm safety, but first I am going to remind you of Arizona’s “Move Over” law. It requires motorists to move over one lane – or slow down if it is not safe to change lanes – when driving by ANY vehicle with flashing lights pulled to the side of the roadway.

ADOT has hundreds of employees working on maintenance and construction projects all over the state and, as you can imagine, the “Move Over” law is very important to us here at ADOT. I hope you’ll always remember to move over when it is safe to do so because it could help save a life. I also encourage you to share the message with your friends and family. Many of them might not know that the law was expanded in 2011 to cover, not only authorized emergency vehicles, but ANY stationary vehicle, including tow trucks, cars belonging to stranded motorists and ADOT vehicles.

As for work zone safety, there’s quite a bit of information on our website for you to review and share. Most importantly, I ask that you remember to expect the unexpected – speed limits may be reduced and people may be working in the road. It’s crucial for drivers to slow down, keep a safe distance from the vehicle ahead and pay attention.

Now, on to dust storm safety ...

As in previous years, we’re warning all motorists that they should NEVER drive into a dust storm. However, we also want to make sure you know that even smaller dust channels can be just as dangerous as those 3,000-foot haboobs we’ve seen before. The smaller storms are often fast moving and can whip up dust alongside highways without warning, meaning drivers often don’t have a chance to avoid them.

Please visit PullAsideStayAlive.org where you’ll find safe-driving tips and additional information. You should also know that ADOT employs a number of tools, including overhead highway signs, the 511 travel information line and social media to provide motorists with the latest conditions. Please check Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) and az511.gov BEFORE you get on the road. And, again, please be sure to share this information with your loved ones so they can travel safe.

EDITOR'S NOTE: More safety messages from Dallas Hammit, ADOT's state engineer, are available at Driving Safety Home on azdot.gov.

By Doug Pacey / ADOT Communications

With Monsoon Awareness Week underway, we're highlighting the Arizona Department of Transportation's Pull Aside, Stay Alive campaign emphasizing dust storm safety.

The campaign, which began in 2012, urges motorists to avoid driving into dust storms. If you are caught in low-visibility blowing dust, do the following: pull off the roadway as far as possible, turn off all vehicle lights, set the emergency brake and wait out the storm.

Wait. Turn off all vehicle lights?

Yes, and here’s why: If your car’s lights remain on, any vehicles coming up from behind could use the lights as a beacon, crashing into your car. Remember, you’ve pulled off the roadway to avoid other vehicles. Don’t leave on the lights and increase the possibility of attracting one.

Here’s the full list of “Pull Aside, Stay Alive” dust storm safety tips:

• Avoid driving into or through a dust storm.
• If you encounter a dust storm, immediately check traffic around your vehicle (front, back and to the side) and begin slowing down.
• Do not wait until poor visibility makes it difficult to safely pull off the roadway – do it as soon as possible. Completely exit the highway if you can.
• Do not stop in a travel lane or in the emergency lane. Look for a safe place to pull completely off the paved portion of the roadway.
• Turn off all vehicle lights, including your emergency flashers. You do not want other vehicles approaching from behind to use your lights as a guide, possibly crashing into your parked vehicle.
• Set your emergency brake and take your foot off the brake.
• Stay in the vehicle with your seat belts buckled and wait for the storm to pass.
• Drivers of high-profile vehicles should be especially aware of changing weather conditions and travel at reduced speeds.