Attention All Wordsmiths: ADOT's Safety Message Contest Returns!

Feeling creative? Have a knack for safety? Well, dust off your keyboards, because the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is inviting all Arizonans to put their wordsmithery to good use in their seventh annual Safety Message Contest!

As travelers along Arizona's highways might have noticed, ADOT likes to sprinkle a little fun into the safety messages displayed on overhead message boards. A break from the traditional, these messages marry humor and creativity with reminders about safe driving habits. Now, it's your turn to join in the action!

"We want these messages to spark conversations about safe driving. Real change happens when drivers prioritize safety and choose not to drive recklessly, distracted, or impaired," says ADOT Director Jennifer Toth.

Submissions for the contest are open until Tuesday, July 25. Arizonans can submit their traffic safety messages through the ADOT website at azdot.gov/SignContest.

So, what's your chance to shine? Here are the contest rules:

• Your message must center around traffic safety.
• The sign can accommodate three lines of text, with a limit of 18 characters per line.
• #Hashtags, phone numbers, and website addresses are not permitted.
• No emojis, please.

Feel free to let your creativity run wild as there's no limit on the number of entries you can submit. If you've got a hundred traffic safety messages bubbling up, by all means, share them all!

Once all the entries are in, at least 10 finalists will be selected by ADOT. After that, it's all up to the public to vote for their favorites. The top two messages with the most votes will find their way to overhead message boards all over Arizona.

This initiative by ADOT serves as a crucial reminder of the responsibility we bear when we get behind the wheel. According to national crash data, driver decisions contribute to more than 90 percent of vehicle crashes. In 2021, Arizona witnessed 1,180 tragic losses in traffic collisions.

So, let's get together, San Tan Valley! This contest not only gives you a platform to showcase your creativity but also helps in promoting the importance of road safety. Let's make a difference, one safety message at a time.