By Doug Pacey / ADOT Communications

Everyone knows it’s dangerous to drive into a massive, towering dust storm. It’s easy to avoid these because they can be seen miles in the distance, giving drivers the opportunity to exit a highway or choose a different route.

But what about blowing dust that whips across the freeway and engulfs your vehicle in low or no visibility without warning? These are called dust channels, fast-moving blowing dust events that can cause serious crashes because they give drivers little or no time to respond.

If you encounter a dust channel – or one encounters you – follow the Pull Aside, Stay Alive tips:

• Avoid driving into or through a dust storm.
• If you encounter a dust storm, immediately check traffic around your vehicle 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.
• 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 highway.
• Turn off all vehicle lights, including 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 emergency brake and take foot off the brake.
• Stay in vehicle with seat belts buckled and wait for the storm to pass

While blowing dust can occur anywhere in Arizona, there’s a stretch of Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Tucson where dust channels often suddenly develop. Half of all blowing dust-related crashes on I-10 occur within a half-mile of milepost 214, northwest of Picacho Peak. In response, ADOT is in the process of installing a first-of-its-kind dust detection zone from mileposts 209-219.

By Dallas Hammit / ADOT Deputy Director for Transportation

ADOT works to plan, build and maintain the state’s transportation system — but we don’t just do it for motorists. We’re responsible for creating a system that accounts for the needs of bicyclists and pedestrians, too.

As drivers, we also need to remember that the roads aren’t always just for motorized vehicles. Likewise, when we’re bicycling or walking, it is critical for us to be attentive and careful of the vehicles we’re traveling near.

Sharing the road is an obligation we all have to each other.

If you’re looking to review the rules and improve your skills when it comes to sharing the road, ADOT has a great resource. It’s the ADOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Program website, azbikeped.org.

There, you’ll find plenty of helpful information, including guides focused on safety.

Even if you’ve been to the site previously, I encourage you to check it out again. Just recently, it has been updated and completely redesigned, allowing users to more easily find what they’re looking for.

Sharing the Road with Peds

In the coming weeks and months, an updated “Sharing the Road with Pedestrians” guide will be published on the site, along with a brand new, interactive Cycle Arizona bicycle user map.

Besides providing educational resources like the website, ADOT also studies how pedestrians and bicyclists use the state system. Improvements based on safety are often made, including the installation of countdown pedestrian signals and the increased use of pedestrian hybrid beacons — both examples of traffic control devices that better assist pedestrians in crossing a street or highway.

As always, I hope you’ll think about your own habits and take the opportunity to talk with your loved ones about this topic. Encourage them to make safe decisions.

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

It’s something that takes an extra few minutes and can save a life: Secure your load.

Secure your load signed proclamation

On Tuesday, June 6, the Maricopa Association of Governments, Arizona Department of Public Safety and Governor’s Office of Highway Safety came together at an ADOT Maintenance Yard to recognize Secure Your Load Day in Arizona, as proclaimed by Governor Doug Ducey (click the icon at right to read the proclamation).

Surrounding them was debris collected from highways, including mattresses, furniture, a refrigerator, ladders, wooden pallets and more. One mangled couch never made it home from the furniture store, its tags still attached.

Meanwhile, ADOT's overhead signs shared this message: “SECURE YOUR LOAD, SAVE LIVES.”

Not only can debris be deadly for motorists, it puts law enforcement and road workers in the dangerous position of having to remove items while vehicles speed by.

Tie-downs, netting, bungee cords, ropes, straps and tarps all can keep your belongings in your vehicle and off the road, making travel safer for everyone.

By John Halikowski / ADOT Director

Congratulations to the 2017 graduates, both in high school and college! It is an exciting time. For high school graduates, it is a time for them to spread their wings, whether it is attending an in- or out-of-state four-year college, a community college, vocational program or military service. For college graduates and a degree in hand, it is the time to use that knowledge to work in a chosen field. Whatever these graduates do, it comes down to making wise choices.

As a parent, we try to instill in our children the importance of making wise choices; if not, there always are consequences when a wrong choice is made. That is ever-so-true when it comes to driving. So many things can go wrong if a young driver doesn’t wear a seat belt, is distracted while driving, is impaired due to alcohol or drugs, or speeding. As the father of two sons, I understand the role we, parents, play in making sure our children are safe drivers and that they make wise choices behind the wheel.

Here is a sobering statistic. Young drivers, age 16-24, were involved in 19 fatal crashes (alcohol-related or otherwise) in May 2016, resulting in 20 fatalities. That means 20 people are not here today, living their dreams, because someone made a wrong choice.

I would say to the graduates celebrate your accomplishment but be wise. Don’t drink and drive. Use a designated driver or other modes like transit, light rail, taxi or Lyft/Uber. Wear a seat belt. Obey speed limits. Show your parents you listened to them; make wise choices.

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

By Doug Pacey / ADOT Communications

The wait is almost over.

On Friday, we’ll reveal the winners in our Safety Message Contest. We’ve invited the winners to come to our Traffic Operations Center and type their message into our Dynamic Message Sign system. The winning messages will appear on overhead signs Friday through Monday.

You can see the winners by checking our Facebook page around 11:30 a.m. Friday or by traveling state highways this weekend.

By the way, did you know that one contest entry has already appeared on our overhead signs? We’ll consider using others in the future, too.

By Doug Pacey / ADOT Communications

If you think you're seeing more motorcycles than usual on Phoenix freeways this weekend, that's because you probably are. Arizona Bike Week and Phoenix Bikefest are occurring through Sunday in Scottsdale and Peoria.

ADOT isn't involved with either event, but we're taking the opportunity to spread awareness about sharing the road with motorcycles. Many overhead signs, especially those on the Loop 101 Agua Fria and Pima freeways, will display this message:

This safety message sometimes elicits responses from drivers of cars asking that motorcycles make safety a priority too. The fact is, vehicle blind spots can hide motorcycles. But drivers of four- and two-wheeled vehicles alike must make safe driving a priority. Speeding is a leading factor in traffic fatalities involving cars and motorcycles.

For more information on motorcycle safety, visit the Arizona Motorcycle Safety & Awareness Foundation’s website.

By John Halikowski / ADOT Director

Time is money -- especially when you are a trucking firm with fresh produce and you face a border inspection. You know it is going to take time, and you know you must follow federal and state regulations before that produce gets delivered to warehouse distribution centers.

The Arizona Department of Transportation is continuing its efforts to host meetings, events and programs with transportation leaders, elected officials and heads of trucking firms in Arizona and Mexico on the importance of safety inspections. It is our goal to educate the trucking industry about how safety compliance can reduce inspection times and make roads safer.

With our innovative programs that make our border inspections move efficiently, the results show a direct impact on international commerce and Arizona’s economy. We are helping to improve the flow of commercial traffic while keeping Arizona highways safe.

In 2015, $30 billion in both imports and exports moved through the state’s border ports, supporting 100,000 Arizona jobs.

ADOT, in collaboration with our federal and state law enforcement partners, holds commercial vehicle industry days to provide information about safety regulations, permitting and the inspection process.

I commend our officers who conduct the safety inspections at our commercial ports of entry, in addition to making sure commercial vehicles follow federal and state regulations. It is in this spirit of cooperation and education that we see the connection between international commerce and safety.

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

By Doug Pacey / ADOT Communications

Don’t rely on luck or four-leaf clovers to stay safe on St. Patrick’s Day.

If your plans include an evening out, have fun, but make smart decisions before getting in a vehicle. Designate a driver or call a taxi or rideshare service.

Did you know that alcohol-related crashes in Arizona historically spike on St. Patrick’s Day?

To promote smart driving decisions, ADOT will display this St. Patrick’s Day-themed safety message on Dynamic Message Signs statewide.

While leprechauns might be difficult to find, state and local law enforcement will be easy to spot. The Arizona Department of Public Safety will have an enhanced presence on highways, targeting impairment and other dangerous driving behavior, and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is working with State Troopers, police officers and deputy sheriffs on a statewide DUI enforcement campaign.