PHOENIX – If you’re among the many Arizonans taking to state highways over Labor Day weekend, please put down your phone and just drive.

To make it easier for drivers to make the safe choice, the Arizona Department of Transportation and GEICO encourage drivers to use rest areas as Safe Phone Zones. GEICO-branded signs call attention to ADOT rest areas as places to safely use mobile devices.

"Texting, surfing the web or using apps, even for what seems like a split second, endangers you, your passengers and others on the highway," ADOT Director John Halikowski said. "Pulling into a rest area is a great way to get off the road and safely use your smartphone or tablet."

GEICO has similar partnerships with Illinois, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and Texas.

"We're proud of the longstanding safety partnership we have formed with the Arizona Department of Transportation," said Michelle Trindade, GEICO regional vice president. "We continue to urge drivers to put down their phones while behind the wheel. It's important for us to offer them alternatives like Safe Phone Zones where they can get connected out of harm's way."

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, during daylight hours approximately 481,000 drivers across the country use their cellphones while driving, with teens the group most likely to be distracted at the time of a crash.

More facts and tips on ways to avoid distracted driving are available at SafePhoneZone.com as well as at GEICO More.

For more information about the Safe Phone Zones partnership and locations of Safe Phone Zones at Arizona rest stops, visit azdot.gov/SafePhoneZone.

To join the conversation on social media, use #GEICOSafePhoneZone.

PHOENIX – With Memorial Day weekend kicking off the summer travel season, don’t make the potentially fatal mistake of driving while texting, surfing the web, using apps and engaging in other distractions on your smartphone or tablet.

The Arizona Department of Transportation and GEICO are teaming up to encourage drivers to use rest areas as Safe Phone Zones. GEICO-branded signs along highways call attention to ADOT rest areas as places to safely use mobile devices.

“Taking your attention off the road for even a second can have tragic consequences for you, those riding with you and people in other vehicles,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “Make the safe choice by getting safely off the highway before using your mobile device.”

GEICO has similar partnerships with Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and Texas.

“We're proud of the longstanding safety partnership we have formed with the Arizona Department of Transportation,” said Martha Furnas, GEICO regional vice president. “We continue to urge drivers to put down their phones while behind the wheel. It's important for us to offer them alternatives like Safe Phone Zones where they can get connected out of harm's way.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, crashes in which distraction was a factor claimed 3,450 lives around the country in 2016. At any given moment in the United States, the agency says, 660,000 drivers are manipulating electronic devices while driving.

More facts and tips on ways to avoid distracted driving are available at SafePhoneZone.com as well as at Geico.com/More.

For more information about the Safe Phone Zones partnership, visit azdot.gov/SafePhoneZone.

To join the conversation on social media, use #GEICOSafePhoneZone.

PHOENIX – As drivers take to Arizona’s highways over the holidays, Arizona Department of Transportation rest area Safe Phone Zones sponsored by GEICO encourage motorists to pull off the road before using smartphones for talking, texting and more.

“Even a moment’s distraction can be deadly,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “We are at our best as drivers when we are focused on the road, rested and sober. Using Safe Phone Zones at rest areas allows drivers to stay connected in a safe way.”

Taking your eyes off the road, hands off the wheel or mind off the task of driving is a hazard, regardless of the reason for doing so. Texting while driving is an especially great concern because it distracts visually, manually and cognitively. During the 5 seconds a person can look away from the road to send or receive a text, a car going 55 mph can travel the length of a football field.

The ADOT partnership began in 2014, with GEICO sponsoring Safe Phone Zones at 14 rest areas to encourage drivers to safely and conveniently use their phones and other mobile devices for calling, texting, navigating and accessing mobile apps. Signs bearing the GEICO logo alert motorists to Safe Phone Zones at each rest area.

GEICO has similar partnerships with Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and Texas.

More facts and tips on ways to avoid distracted driving can be found at SafePhoneZone.com as well as at Geico.com/More.

For more information about the Safe Phone Zones partnership, visit azdot.gov/SafePhoneZone.

To join the conversation on social media, use #GEICOSafePhoneZone.

PHOENIX – As Arizona residents prepare for travel during Labor Day weekend, Arizona Department of Transportation Director John Halikowski encourages motorists to avoid distracted driving by utilizing the state's “Safe Phone Zones” sponsored by GEICO.

Fourteen ADOT rest areas were designated as “Safe Phone Zones” in 2014. These locations provide a place where drivers can safely and conveniently use their phones and other mobile devices for calling, texting, navigating and accessing mobile apps.

"Distractions when driving can be deadly,” Halikowski said. “Tragedy can strike in the split second it takes to glance at a text, look at a map or take a bite of a sandwich. Safe driving is up to each of us – we are at our best as drivers when we are rested, focused and sober. The ‘Safe Phone Zones’ at Arizona rest areas provide opportunities to stay connected and safe."

Motorists are made aware of upcoming locations via highway signs in advance of each facility. The signs read: “Safe Phone Zone” and carry the GEICO logo.

GEICO provides similar support in six other states to promote stopping at rest areas to safely use mobile devices: Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and Texas.

"Safe Phone Zones can help make Arizona's highways safer by offering drivers a safe spot to park and connect out of harm's way," said Martha Furnas, GEICO regional vice president. "It has been more than three years since our partnership with the Arizona Department of Transportation began, and we hope the program continues to reduce the number of distracted drivers on the state's highways."

More facts and tips on ways to avoid distracted driving can be found at www.SafePhoneZone.com as well as on the GEICO More branded content hub.

For more information about ADOT and GEICO's Safe Phone Zone sponsorship program, visit azdot.gov/SafePhoneZone.

To join the conversation on social media, use #GEICOSafePhoneZone.

PHOENIX – As Arizonans venture out for Memorial Day weekend, state transportation officials remind drivers to avoid all distractions while on the road – getting out and about and home safely – and make use of Arizona’s “Safe Phone Zones.”

Through a 2014 sponsorship with GEICO Insurance, Arizona has designated 14 rest area locations as “Safe Phone Zones,” where drivers can safely and conveniently use their phones and other mobile devices for calling, texting, navigating and accessing mobile apps.

June 10 marks the second anniversary of “Safe Phone Zones” in the state, and Arizona Department of Transportation Director John S. Halikowski said drivers need to be cautious on Arizona’s roads this holiday season.

“Distractions when driving can be deadly,” Halikowski said. “Tragedy can strike in the split second it takes to glance at a text, look at a map or take a bite of a burger. Arizona is a state of great beauty, so take a few minutes and pull into an ADOT rest area to stretch, look out at the mountains and catch up on your texts. It might be a lifesaving decision.”

Highway signs identifying the facilities as “Safe Phone Zones” and carrying the sponsor logo are placed in advance of the rest areas, reminding motorists to pull off in order to use their cellphones and tablets – safely.

“People are connected to their mobile devices today more than ever, and an unfortunate side effect of that is the rise in accidents attributed to distracted driving,” said Ted Ward, GEICO vice president of marketing. “We believe ‘Safe Phone Zones’ reflect GEICO’s commitment to protecting drivers by offering them a safe place off the roadways where they can check emails, make calls and view texts. We are proud to expand our support of this sponsorship in 2016 to help make the highways safe for all drivers.”

For more information on Safe Phone Zones and Transportation Safety in Arizona, visit azdot.gov/safephonezone.

PHOENIX – Travelers who stop to take a break at one of Arizona’s 14 highway rest area locations will now notice new signs designating the rest areas as “Safe Phone Zones,” which is part of a nationwide effort to encourage drivers to pull into a safe location to use their phones for calling, texting and accessing mobile apps.

Today, the Arizona Department of Transportation unveiled the new Safe Phone Zone signs as part of a partnership with GEICO. The signs feature the GEICO Gecko image and can be seen along the highways leading to the rest areas and within the rest areas themselves.

This sponsorship program is part of ADOT’s rest area public-private partnership, which began last October and is the department’s first fully implemented public-private partnership. Under this five-year agreement, Infrastructure Corporation of America, a private company, manages the daily maintenance and operations of the rest areas, and has implemented a sponsorship and advertising program to generate revenue for reinvestment in the rest areas. The GEICO sponsorship is the first one to move forward. ADOT still owns all 14 rest areas.

“ADOT’s top priority is safety and we are committed to educating the public about the dangers of distracted driving,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski. “These Safe Phone Zones provide travelers with the opportunity to pull into a rest area where they can use their phones safely and responsibly. We are able to move this project forward because of the legislation enacted to generate public-private partnerships in Arizona — partnerships that have proven to be an innovative approach to funding transportation projects with non-traditional funding sources.”

This morning, Halikowski was joined by representatives from the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, GEICO and Infrastructure Corporation of America to unveil the new Safe Phone Zone signs at ADOT’s offices in Phoenix. The signs have already been installed in the rest areas and along the highways throughout Arizona.

“Distracted driving is a major concern for motorists in Arizona and across the country. Each year, there is a growing number of injuries and fatal accidents directly related to this issue,” said Martha Furnas, GEICO regional vice president. “GEICO is proud to partner with the Arizona Department of Transportation to create Safe Phone Zones throughout the state, where motorists can answer texts and make phone calls, all in a safe and convenient environment.”

The Safe Phone Zone signs will be installed and maintained by Infrastructure Corporation of America, as part of the public-private partnership with ADOT. The company plans to generate other sponsorships to add more amenities within the rest areas to provide a better experience for travelers.

“Every state is facing a tremendous challenge to do more with less in order to keep their infrastructure preserved and maintained,” said Butch Eley, CEO of Infrastructure Corporation of America. “ICA is proud to be Arizona’s partner in an innovative project that will ensure rest areas are well-maintained, that they generate new revenues to support high-quality maintenance, and through GEICO’s participation and expansion of the Safe Phone Zones, will make the highways safer. We are thrilled the Arizona Department of Transportation is taking a nationally leading role in advancing this innovative, public-private partnership model for the people of Arizona.”

ADOT is one of several state departments of transportation to implement public-private partnerships to move public transportation projects forward with private investment. For more information about ADOT’s public-private partnership program, go to azdot.gov/P3.

About GEICO
GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) is a member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies and is the second-largest private passenger auto insurance company in the United States. GEICO, which was founded in 1936, provides millions of auto insurance quotes to U.S. drivers annually. The company is pleased to serve more than 12 million private passenger customers and insures more than 20 million vehicles (auto & cycle).

GEICO’s online service center helps policyholders take care of policy sales, policy changes and claims reporting, and print insurance ID cards. Policyholders can also connect to GEICO through the GEICO App, reach a representative over the phone or visit a GEICO local agent.

GEICO also provides insurance quotes on motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), travel trailers and motorhomes (RVs). Coverage for boats, life, homes and apartments is written by non-affiliated insurance companies and is secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Inc. Commercial auto insurance and personal umbrella protection are also available.

For more information, go to www.geico.com.