Safety

PHOENIX – At the Arizona Department of Transportation, 2020 saw the creation of a terrifying distracted driving awareness campaign, a tragic reminder of the need to drive safely in work zones and the adaptive nature of traffic safety professionals.

For National Distracted Driving Awareness Month in October, ADOT launched its “Distracted Drivers Terrify Me” public awareness campaign. The campaign features regular people doing jobs most of us find frightening. What’s the only thing that terrifies the venomous snake handler? Distracted drivers, of course.

We hope you start the holiday season with safety. 

We added the shared-use path to the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway for everyone to enjoy. If you are using it, remember to share and share alike.

If you are driving in search of the quasi-mythical Arizona fall, please remember to be careful behind the wheel.

It's not always easy to reach people with a message about distracted driving, so we are taking the message onto social media with new stickers and profile frames.

PHOENIX – According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are an average of 35,000 to 40,000 traffic fatalities in the United States every year. In Arizona, there have been 725 traffic fatalities this year through the end of September.

PHOENIX -  Arizona Department of Transportation innovations designed to improve driver safety and awareness during bad weather conditions have earned recognition from the National Weather Service, which has cited ADOT as a “Weather Ready Nation Ambassador of Excellence.”

PHOENIX – Drivers heading north to Payson, the Mogollon Rim and the White Mountains for the Labor Day holiday weekend should budget extra time and consider alternate routes with 7 miles of State Route 87 still limited to one lane while crews repair guardrail and fencing damaged by the Bush Fire. 

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation has installed six signs telling drivers to use their headlights during the daytime on State Route 169 to increase visibility and safety along the highway.

The signs were placed along the entire highway corridor between the junction with SR 69 in Dewey-Humboldt and the junction with Interstate 17 north of Cordes Junction. Drivers on SR 169 are required to turn their headlights on during daylight hours.

Though ADOT cannot reduce the number of crashes that happen on Arizona roads by itself, our director talks about what we are doing to make sure everyone gets Safely Home.

PHOENIX – A mystery person and a husband-and-wife team of a hero hiker and a kindergarten teacher are the winners of ADOT’s Safety Message Contest.

More than 5,500 votes were cast by the public for the 12 message finalists. The top two vote-getters and winners are:

The Arizona Department of Transportation has already expanded use of the technology, with plans to do more as time and funding allow.

PHOENIX – Traffic crash fatalities on Arizona roadways in 2019 fell to their lowest total in three years, according to the Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts report published Tuesday, June 30.

Total traffic crash fatalities was one of several key measurements that decreased in 2019 from 2018. The 2019 report also tallied fewer pedestrian fatalities, alcohol-related fatalities, fatalities of those not wearing seat belts and distracted drivers involved in crashes compared to the previous year.

http://azdot.gov/adotkidsA few enterprising ADOT employees have found a new way to spread the word about dust-storm safety, but they need your help to finish it!

Interstate 10 drivers between Eloy and Picacho Peak should expect something very different this summer when storms hit: reduced speed limits, speed feedback signs and new overhead boards that display urgent safety messages.

In addition to learning more about monsoon season safety, we're encouraging you to create your own sign to keep people from driving into a dangerous dust storm.

The summer monsoon season is at hand. If you get caught in a heavy downpour, do you know what to do?

It's not often in life that you get immediate results. A lot of things worth doing take time and patience to bear any fruit.

That's why it was gratifying when we saw a noticeable change in traffic flow and safety after crews completed a project to adjust some lane configurations on Interstate 10 at the Loop 101 Agua Fria Freeway.

With high summer temperatures here again, we have some tips to make sure the heat doesn't get to you or your vehicle.

PHOENIX – In addition to disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer and other essentials to protect against COVID-19, those taking to state highways these days need to prepare themselves, their vehicles and their passengers in case they become stranded in extreme heat. 

At a minimum, that means taking extra drinking water for everyone, including pets, and a fully charged cellphone. Also think about having an umbrella for shade. 

It’s always important to be ready for a breakdown, flat tire or some other reason for delay, but that need is even more critical in extreme heat.