The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has set the wheels in motion for its latest initiative to boost roadway safety during the bustling holiday season. The agency recently announced a competition designed to crowdsource safety messages from the driving public for display on interstate Dynamic Message Signs. The "Make Travel Bright Safety Sign Contest" invites Tennessee's motorists to contribute their own words of caution that cover critical driving behaviors such as seatbelt usage, impaired driving, distracted driving, speeding, and aggressive driving.
According to TDOT's announcement, Deputy Governor and Commissioner Butch Eley sees the contest as both a creative venture and a serious effort to save lives on the road. "This contest is a fun way to engage citizens and assist TDOT in accomplishing our goal of saving lives by getting the attention of drivers and reminding them to practice safe driving habits," Eley stated. The department has made submission of entries accessible through their website and encourages daily checks of the message boards for vital travel information.
The process to enter the contest is straightforward: participants are guided to TDOT’s contest page, where they can type their safety messages and submit their entries. The contest is open until December 11th, after which point the public will be able to cast their votes for the most impactful messages on the @myTDOT Facebook page starting December 16th. Entrants need to keep their submissions appropriate; any use of profanity or inappropriate remarks will lead to disqualification, and entries can't be used for commercial advertising.
Across Tennessee, 217 Dynamic Message Signs stand ready in urban and rural areas to serve as platforms for the winning messages. These signs, typically used to inform drivers of incidents or Amber Alerts, have since 2012 been employed by TDOT to display roadway fatality statistics. Besides these grim reminders, the signs also offer safety advice during times less burdened by traffic. The winning safety slogans will be added to this rotation, appearing on overhead signs statewide and, in a holistic sense, contributing to the department's vision of a safer travel environment.
