ADOT's annual safety message contest returns

ADOT looking for creative safety messages

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has launched its annual safety message contest. FOX 10's Lindsey Ragas has more on how you can submit your idea.

PHOENIX - The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has officially opened its annual contest for clever highway safety messages, with the winning slogans to be featured on electronic signs across the state.

This is the ninth year for the contest.

What they're saying:

ADOT officials said the messages are intended to promote safety on the road. Last year, one of the winning messages was "Drive with care — life has no spare," submitted by Doreen Charles-Brock of Casa Grande.

"It was my sister's idea. She saw the ad on TV, and she said, 'You should enter the contest,'" Charles-Brock said.

She decided to use a family saying she learned from her mother when she started driving. "I think it's very true that, you know, life doesn't have a spare. And when you're out there on the highways, it's dangerous."

Dig deeper:

According to an ADOT spokesperson, the agency receives thousands of submissions each year. The contest is designed to spark conversations about driver behavior, which accounts for about 90% of crashes nationwide.

The public will vote on a selection of 10 to 15 finalists, and the top two messages will be displayed on ADOT's signs.

The agency noted that safety alerts, such as crashes, Amber Alerts, and severe weather warnings, will always take priority and that the winning messages will only be displayed when the signs would otherwise be blank.

Charles-Brock said she is happy with her win and will not be submitting a message this year. "I'll let somebody else win," she said, laughing.

What you can do:

You can submit as many messages as you want up until Sept. 22. Click here to submit a message.