Photos: 15+ clever freeway signs aimed at keeping Arizona drivers safe
- Arizona Daily Star
- Updated
The Arizona Department of Transportation often displays eye-catching freeway signs around holidays and special events to promote driver safety. Here are a few you may have seen while driving:
This message, inspired by the "Cha Cha Slide," won ADOT's 2022 safety message contest. Over 3,000 entries were submitted in the contest.
Arizona Department of Transportation
This reggae-inspired sign was one of the winners of ADOT's 2022 safety message contest.
Arizona Department of Transportation
This message was displayed on Oct. 3, 2022 in honor of the movie "Mean Girls," which includes a reference to that date in an oft-quoted scene.
Arizona Department of Transportation
This sign was one of three food-themed ones motorists saw around Thanksgiving last year.
Arizona Department of Transportation
Arizona motorists traveling around Christmas this year might see this sign while driving on local highways.
Arizona Department of Transportation
This Christmastime rhyme is just one of several messages ADOT is displaying this year.
Arizona Department of Transportation
Another festive pun used by ADOT to promote driving safety.
Arizona Department of Transportation
This ADOT sign was recently displayed for Hanukkah this year, which began the evening of Nov. 28 and lasts until Dec. 6.
Arizona Department of Transportation
This sign was one of three food-themed ones motorists saw around Thanksgiving this year.
Arizona Department of Transportation
This sign was one of three food-themed ones motorists saw around Thanksgiving this year.
Arizona Department of Transportation
It's not a trick... ADOT treated drivers to this message on Halloween in 2020.
Arizona Department of Transportation
Another Halloween-related sign that grabbed the attention of Arizona drivers was introduced in October 2017.
Arizona Department of Transportation
ADOT used lyrics from the song "You Will Be Found" from the hit Broadway musical "Dear Evan Hansen" when the show came to Arizona State University's Gammage theater in November 2018.
Arizona Department of Transportation
Keeping with the "Dear Evan Hansen" theme, ADOT paid homage to the musical with another sign featuring lyrics from the show.
Arizona Department of Transportation
Anyone who is familiar with Taylor Swift may recognize ADOT's nod to the pop star's songs "Bad Blood" and "Shake It Off" seen in May 2018 before the singer kicked off her Reputation album tour at the University of Phoenix Stadium.
Arizona Department of Transportation
This sign was one of the top two in the 2019 Arizona Department of Transportation Safety Message Contest. Mitzie Warner, who came up with the message, got to type it into the sign system and have it displayed over state highways in June 2019.
Arizona Department of Transportation
David Posey's safety message reminds people to avoid driving drunk and was the other winner in ADOT's 2019 sign contest.
Arizona Department of Transportation
Scott and Paula Cullymore of Mesa came up with this Dr. Seuss-inspired safety message that won ADOT’s Safety Message Contest in 2020.
Arizona Department of Transportation
A previous winner's message on Arizona's Loop 101 in 2017.
Arizona Department of TransportationTags
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The Arizona Department of Transportation's annual Motor Vehicle Crash Facts report showed an increase in traffic fatalities in Arizona in 2021 while Pima County saw a slight decrease.
For Star subscribers: HB 2586 would prohibit the state's Transportation Department from posting signs reminding motorists to vote or get vaccinated.
Gov. Katie Hobbs declined Wednesday to limit the digital signs above and adjacent to state roads to only traffic safety messages.
More information
- New Houghton Road interchange at I-10 first of its kind in S. Arizona
- City of Tucson on unpaid parking tickets: No more Mr. Nice Guy
- Arizona holiday travelers can expect bigger crowds, higher costs
- Interstate 11 study moves forward with undecided route in Pima County
- How to avoid the fiery dangers of live Christmas trees
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