PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation wants to see your slogan in lights.
The ADOT safety message contest returns for its sixth year and the department invites "Arizonans to submit their best, witty, funny and creative traffic safety message."
Messages can be submitted at azdot.gov/signcontest through Tuesday, June 28.
“This contest can inspire thousands more people to think and talk creatively about driving safely,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said. “Each year, the contest entries get better and better. We look forward to what 2022 has in store for seeing a real, live message from a member of the public on ADOT’s highway message boards.”
When creating a message – there’s no limit to the number of entries you can submit – here are the guidelines:
- The message must relate to traffic safety.
- Signs accommodate three lines, 18 characters per line.
- #Hashtags, phone numbers and website addresses are not allowed.
- No emojis.
After the June 28 deadline has passed, ADOT will select at least 10 finalists. The public will vote for their favorites among the finalists, and the two messages that receive the most votes will appear on overhead signs above Arizona state highways.
"ADOT displays quirky traffic safety messages, which often are related to current events and pop culture, as part of an effort to encourage drivers to change their actions behind the wheel," according to a release.
"We all need a reminder about safe driving because more than 90 percent of vehicle crashes are caused by driver decisions, such as drivers choosing to speed, driving aggressively or driving while distracted or impaired."
According to crash data, 970 people were killed in traffic collisions on Arizona’s roads in 2020.