Texas Launches Highway Messaging Contest

AUSTIN, TX — Most Texans have seen the informative — and often clever — messaging above Texas highways on digital message boards encouraging safer driving. Now, state transportation officials are launching a statewide Digital Highway Sign Contest to find the best and most creative safe-driving message.

The sought messaging is related to alerts on impaired driving (drunk or drugged driving,) distracted driving (texting while driving,) not wearing seatbelts and/or speeding — the deadliest mistakes drivers make on Texas roadways,Texas Department of Transportation officials said.

Since the majority of crashes are preventable, the state transportation agency uses creative messages — often related to current events and pop culture — as part of an effort to encourage drivers to improve their behavior behind the wheel, officials explained.

Through Dec. 8, Texas drivers will be able to submit their entries with no limit to submissions, officials said. The top 10 entries will be posted on social media and voted on by the public. A “like” or “share” equals one point. The top three winners will see their message in bright lights over highways across the state.

The contest, which runs simultaneously with #EndTheStreakTX, is another way in which the agency is trying to get more drivers educated about the state’s steady death rate and committed to improving their driving habits, officials explained.

Please visit TxDOT.gov to submit an entry and use the following guidelines when creating your message:

• The message must bring awareness to the dangers of common driver mistakes such as distracted driving, impaired driving, not using seat belts, speeding, etc. We will also accept other rules of the road, such as “no tailgating” and “left lane for passing only.”
• #Hashtags, phone numbers and website addresses are not allowed. No offensive language.
• Signs accommodate 2 slides, each with 3 lines and up to 15 characters per line. Feel free to use both slides (6 lines) or just one slide (3 lines).

The Texas Department of Transportation oversees maintenance of some 80,000 miles of road and for supporting aviation, maritime, rail and public transportation across the state.