PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation has picked 10 finalists for its seventh annual Safety Message Contest.
After vetting through 3,700 submissions, ADOT has picked 10 entries that the public will have a chance to vote on this month before two winners will be put on display across the agency's freeway overhead signs.
ADOT began displaying humorous, unconventional safety messages a few years ago as a strategy to engage drivers on changing their behavior behind the wheel. That strategy has since evolved into an annual contest which allows locals to participate in writing their own sign slogans.
The 10 finalists this year are listed below:
- It's hot, be cool, buckle up
- I'm just a sign asking a driver to use turn signals
- Be a buckle girl, in a buckle world
- It's hot outside, chill when you drive
- Drive aware show you care
- Merge it like it's hot
- Think & thrive, don't drink & drive
- Not a bee? Don't drive buzzed
- Seat belts always pass the vibe check
- This is your sign to slow down
Arizonans have until Aug. 17 to vote for their favorite sign message on the ADOT website. The two messages with the most votes will be put on display.
UP TO SPEED
How big is Maricopa County?:
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.