ADOT contest open until July 29 for new round of clever highway messages

The Arizona Department of Transportation sought the public's help writing creative traffic messages for use on electronic highway signs that guided drivers statewide.

ADOT will accept the unique messages, that fit as three lines and are 18 characters long, through July 29, according to a news release from the transportation agency.

Once the submission deadline passed, at least 10 options will be picked by ADOT and the two best voted on by the public.

This marked the eighth year ADOT invited the public to participate in the contest, which utilized messages broadcasted on the overhead signs as a way to remind drivers to be safe and alert behind the wheel, the news release noted.

Earlier this year, the future of the unique messages was feared to be in limbo as federal regulation clarified what could be broadcasted safety message boards.

In late January, the Federal Highway Administration told the Associated Press that the agency "strongly recommends avoiding" humorous or creative messages on highway signs, but that the act of broadcasting the alternative messages was not forbidden.

On Wednesday, ADOT confirmed the messages were not impacted by federal oversight.

"ADOT carefully considers all messaging used in our informational safety campaigns. Our team crafts messages with the goal of starting important conversations about traffic safety," said ADOT spokesperson Doug Pacey.

Pacey said the contest had strong support from residents who submitted thousands of messages since 2015.

"These safety messages sometimes include humor and cultural references, and we work hard to make sure the key safety messages will be easily understood by drivers and convey a clear message," Pacey added.

What were the submission requirements for the contest?

ADOT provided these requirements for submissions.

• The message must relate to traffic safety.
• Signs accommodate 3 lines, 18 characters per line.
• #Hashtags, phone numbers and website addresses are not allowed.
• No emojis.

ADOT suggested the use of an ampersand (&) to save space on writing messages.

Submission could be made at azdot.gov/SignContest .

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ADOT contest open until July 29 for new round of clever highway messages