Are you ready for Monsoon season?

It starts this Sunday and brings with it the increased chance of high winds, blowing dust and other conditions that can really impact your drive.

Knowing what to do when a dust storm hits is vital, which is why we want to again remind everyone of our “Pull Aside, Stay Alive” message.

The importance of that message is certainly apparent in the powerful video above, in which you’ll hear a first-hand account of just how quickly conditions can change when a dust storm is on the horizon.

We want to make sure you’re prepared, so we invite you to review these safety tips (you can also find them on PullAsideStayAlive.org):

• Avoid driving into or through a dust storm.
• 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.
• If you encounter a dust storm, check traffic immediately around your vehicle (front, back and to the side) and begin slowing down.
• 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 the 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 seatbelts 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.

DPS Officer Carrick Cook says it best in the video above...

“It’s decisions to go into dust storms that cause those types of crashes and we’re trying to encourage motorists to not even enter it – don’t even run the risk,” he says. “People that continue to go through a dust storm, knowing that it’s there, are recklessly doing that. Zero visibility is the worst-case scenario. There’s no reasonable speed, when you can’t see.”

For more information on dust storms, please visit PullAsideStayAlive.org and check out some of our previous blog posts. We also want to invite you to participate in our dust storm online survey.

As always, drivers planning trips are urged to monitor travel conditions by calling 511, or by visiting www.az511.gov. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Stay safe and remember to Pull Aside, Stay Alive!

If you’ve got 17 syllables to spare, we want to hear from you because #HaboobHaiku is back!

This is the one and only contest (as far as we know) to mix an ancient form of poetry with dust storm safety – the results are always entertaining and educational.

In its third year now, the #HaboobHaiku challenge is designed to reinforce ADOT’s public safety message urging drivers to avoid driving into or through a dust storm. Drivers are instead encouraged to pull off the roadway and wait out a dust storm, rather than trying to drive with reduced or zero visibility (see more driving tips here).

You can read in detail why we #HaboobHaiku in this blog post from last year and you’ll see that our main focus each year is to get people talking about the dangers of driving in dust storms. By building awareness about dust storm safety and our “Pull Aside, Stay Alive” message, we hope more drivers will know what to do when that next dust storm hits.

So, are you in? Will you help us spread the word on dust storm safety by coming up with your very own Haboob Haiku? All you have to do is share it with us on Twitter (don’t forget the #HaboobHaiku hashtag and be sure to mention @ArizonaDOT, so we see your poem) or on our Facebook page or even here in the blog comments.

How to Haboob Haiku

Haiku is a type of poetry that conforms to a certain syllable structure. These poems traditionally written in three lines – the first line consists of five syllables, the second line has seven and the third ends with five.

Usually these poems can be on any subject, but for #HaboobHaiku, we want you to focus on monsoons, dust storms and our safety message: Pull Aside, Stay Alive.

You can get some inspiration from our previous dust storm safety blog posts, or you can watch the video above to see top #HaboobHaikus from last year as voted on by the public.

Here are some of our favorites from past years:

• You’re not a Jedi / This is not Tatooine, Luke / Pull over now, man
• Oh snap, crackle, pop / Dust has you blind, pull over/ Or you’ll want to cry
• Dust blows, swirls and grows / Roadways become danger zones/ Pull over, lights off

We can’t wait to see what you come up with this year!

It’s that time of year again.

We’re headed into monsoon season, which means motorists need to be on alert. High winds, blowing dust and other conditions that can impact your drive are more common this time of year.

If you’ve been following us for the past few seasons, you already know the drill…

ADOT works to raise awareness on the subject and urges drivers to take extra safety precautions. We also get the word out when a dust storm is happening through social media, 511 and overhead message boards.

We’ll have more dust storm content for you this week (including a new video and the return of our #HaboobHaiku challenge!), but for now we want to leave you with some safety tips that we hope you’ll read and share with your friends, family and co-workers.

Motorists play an important role in their own safety and the safety of others when operating their vehicles during a dust storm. Here are some driving tips to remember when encountering a low- or no-visibility dust storm:

• Avoid driving into or through a dust storm.
• 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.
• If you encounter a dust storm, check traffic immediately around your vehicle (front, back and to the side) and begin slowing down.
• 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 the 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 seatbelts 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.

A driver’s alertness and safe driving ability is still the number one factor to prevent crashes.

As always, drivers planning trips are urged to monitor travel conditions by calling 511, or by visiting www.az511.gov.

You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter and check out our dust storm safety website at pullasidestayalive.org.

Safety is an important topic here on the ADOT Blog. From dust storm info and winter driving tips to seat belt rules and tire pressure guidelines, we try to cover it all...

That’s why you better believe we’re not going to pass up the chance to blog about Work Zone Awareness Week, which gets started today. This is the week that’s observed each year by transportation officials across the country in an effort to increase driver awareness of work zone safety issues.

It’s probably pretty clear why work zone safety is a serious topic at ADOT. Our crews are out in work zones everyday, building and maintaining the state’s highways. Their safety is, of course, a high priority. But, did you know that most of the people killed in highway work zone crashes are drivers and their passengers?

You can see that it’s really important for everyone to make work zone safety a priority.

Drivers play a big role in keeping work zones safe

According to the Federal Highway Administration, most work zone fatalities (about 85-90 percent each year) are motorists and their occupants, and 10-15 percent of fatalities are workers and other non-motorized users such as pedestrians and bicyclists.

“Driver-related factors that affect work zone crashes include speeding, distractions (such as cell phones, texting, and radios), inattentive driving and aggressive driving,” according to the FHWA. “The main type of work zone crash is a rear-end collision, and adequate following distance is important in avoiding such crashes.”

Work Zone Speeding: A Costly Mistake

This year’s theme highlights the fact that speeding is a major factor that contributes to work zone crashes. According to the FHWA, speeding was involved in 36 percent of the fatal crashes that occurred in work zones in 2011.

But, we all know that speed isn’t the only thing you’ve got to pay attention to when you’re driving.

Here’s a good list of driving tips to keep in mind the next time you’re driving through a work zone:

• Slow down. Speeding is among the major causes of work-zone crashes.
• Wear your seatbelt. It is your best defense in a crash.
• Pay attention. Warning signs, directional signs and flaggers are in place to guide you through the work zone safely, so read and obey them. Using a handheld device while driving is never a good idea - especially in work zones. Minimize other distractions that can take your eyes, ears and attention off the road.
• Expect out-of-the-ordinary road conditions. Be ready for lower speed limits, lane restrictions, detours and lots of activity involving workers and equipment next to travel lanes.
• Keep a safe distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you. Rear-end collisions are the most common type of work-zone crashes. Keep a safe distance between your vehicle and construction equipment and crews as well.
• Obey road crew flaggers. Not only does the flagger have information to guide motorists through the work zone safely, but he or she has the same authority as a regulatory sign. Ignore a flagger and you could be cited. Even worse, you could be involved in a serious crash.
• Don’t cut in line ... or try to keep other drivers out. When lanes are narrowed, merge as soon as the signs direct you to do so. Drivers who wait until the last minute to merge (and cut off other drivers) disrupt traffic flow and slow down the commute for everyone. If you’re already in the open travel lane, be considerate and allow other drivers to merge in early.
• Check road conditions and plan accordingly. Schedule enough time to drive safely. By adding a few extra minutes to your commute, you’ll make up for possible work-zone delays. Check for traffic information in advance by calling 511 or by logging on to az511.gov. Never call or log onto the 511 system while driving!
• Be patient and stay calm. Remember: Road crews are working to improve the roadway and your commute.

For more information, visit the FHWA website or check out some of our previous work-zone safety blog posts.

It seems like 2013 has flown by – can you believe we’ve got less than two weeks until the New Year?

We’ve really enjoyed being able to share ADOT’s story with you throughout the year, and we look forward to bringing you more videos and blog posts in 2014!

However, starting Dec. 23, the ADOT Blog will be taking a weeklong hiatus. So, there are a few things we want to make sure to tell you about before the blog goes on vacation…

• Drivers will be happy to know ADOT has announced that no full closures for construction will be scheduled along state highways during the upcoming Christmas and New Year’s holiday period (Dec. 23-Jan. 2). Motorists are still urged to plan ahead, allow extra travel time, avoid distractions and be patient if traveling during the holidays. Please obey speed limits, buckle up and never drive while impaired. Don’t forget to #KnowSnow.
• Only the blog is taking an extended vacation. All ADOT and MVD offices will be open EXCEPT for Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, when they’ll close in recognition of the holidays.
• We want to remind you that there are plenty of places to get your ADOT information every day of the year. You can check for ADOT news and info on Twitter and Facebook. If you’re looking for traffic conditions around the state, be sure to head over to az511.gov.

From seat belts and dust storms, to snow, work zones and tire pressure – we know that you know there are plenty of things to consider before getting on the road…

But, do you ever think much about roadway debris? It’s a potential danger all drivers should be aware of – it’s also something that everyone can help prevent.

“ADOT maintenance crews are picking up tons of debris in any given year and our crews wind up picking everything, including the kitchen sink,” says ADOT’s Doug Nintzel in the video above.

Last year, crews picked up more than 36 tons of rubber alone. There were also appliances, luggage, mattresses, ladders, furniture, buckets and your average everyday litter.

What can you do?

Drivers need to make sure their vehicle loads are tied down and covered. It’s also important not to overload your vehicle. To cut down on the chances of having a blowout (that’s what contributes to the tons and tons of rubber out on the roads), it’s essential that you maintain your vehicle’s tires and make sure they’re at the proper pressure.

“Make sure that you’re not letting things fly off your vehicle,” Nintzel says in the video. “It’s about keeping drivers and their passengers safe.”