PHOENIX – Thousands of entries were received for the Arizona Department of Transportation Safety Message Contest, but only a couple will find its way into the bright lights of an ADOT highway message board when the public gets to decide. 

In one week, more than 2,400 entries were received and now the public will pick the winner from the 10 finalists. Voting is open through April 21 at azdot.gov/SignContest. The winning safety messages will be announced in May. 

"It’s important to focus on safety and remember we all have a role in reducing the number of crashes and lives lost," said ADOT Director John Halikowski. "More than 90% of crashes are caused by driver behavior. We need to do all we can to promote safe driving and avoid speeding, and aggressive, distracted or impaired driving. These messages are designed to help remind drivers, sometimes in an offbeat way, to be careful on the road."

The leading factors in crashes are speeding, aggressive driving and distracted or impaired driving. The annual Safety Message Contest was started to encourage drivers to be conscious of safety and keep it top of mind when on the road. 

PHOENIX – What do a children’s book, a teacher and mingling singles have to do with safety? They were all part of last year’s winning messages from the Arizona Department of Transportation’s annual Safety Message Contest. ADOT is once again calling on the public to craft creative messages.  

It's the fifth year in a row ADOT has run the contest. Contest entries have ranged from wacky to poetic. About 16,000 entries have been received over the past four years but the agency still expects there are more safety messages that haven’t been uncovered.

Original messages can be submitted at azdot.gov/SignContest through March 31. 

"It's been great to watch the excitement from the community when the contest launches each year," said ADOT Director John Halikowski. "With thousands participating year after year, we hope it's a reminder to everyone that we are all responsible for keeping our roads safe."

More than 90 percent of crashes are caused by driver behavior. Speeding, aggressive driving and distracted or impaired driving are the leading factors in fatal collisions. The annual contest has incorporated pop culture and current events into safety messages to encourage motorists to make better decisions when in the driver's seat. 

While we encourage original and clever messages, there are some guidelines that need to be followed.  

• The message must relate to traffic safety.
• Signs allow for a maximum of 3 lines, 18 characters per line, including spaces.
• No hashtags, emojis, phone numbers or websites addresses are allowed.

ADOT will select at least 10 finalists after the contest closes on March 31. Then, we'll invite the public to vote on the finalists, choosing the message they most want to see on ADOT’s  overhead message boards.