Finalists selected for ADOT safety message contest as voting starts

PHOENIX — Voting for the annual Arizona Department of Transportation safety message contest is underway.

People will have until next Wednesday to choose from their favorite of the 10 finalists in the fifth year of the contest.

(Arizona Department of Transportation)

ADOT received more than 2,400 entries. The winning messages will be announced in May.

“It’s important to focus on safety and remember we all have a role in reducing the number of crashes and lives lost,” ADOT Director John Halikowski said in a press release. “More than 90% of crashes are caused by driver behavior.”

There were two winners in the 2020 contest from 12 finalists.

“Signal and ready to mingle” was chosen, the first anonymous winner in contest history.

The other winning entry – “Red fish, blue fish, speeding’s foolish” – came from the minds of Paula and Scott Cullymore of Mesa, with an assist from Dr. Seuss.

ADOT started the contest to promote safe driving when on Arizona highways.

The leading factors in crashes are speeding, aggressive driving, and distracted or impaired driving.

“We need to do all we can to promote safe driving and avoid speeding, and aggressive, distracted or impaired driving,” Halikowski said in the release. “These messages are designed to help remind drivers, sometimes in an offbeat way, to be careful on the road.”

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