AUSTIN - The Texas Department of Transportation is giving citizens a chance to create messages for digital message boards to encourage safe driving.
TxDOT is launching a statewide Digital Highway Sign Contest to find the best and most creative safe-driving message that is related to impaired driving , distracted driving, not wearing seat belts and speeding the deadliest mistakes drivers make on Texas roadways, according to a news release from TxDOT.
Since the majority of crashes are preventable, TxDOT uses these creative messages, which often are related to current events and pop culture, as part of an effort to encourage drivers to improve behavior behind the wheel. From now until Dec. 8, drivers will be able to submit entries and there is no limit to the number of entries a contestant can submit. The top 10 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 the agency is trying to educate drivers about the state's steady death rate and encourage people to improve their driving.
To submit an entry, vist TxDOT.gov 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 and speeding. Other accepted entries will be 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 is allowed.
Signs accommodate two slides, each with three lines and up to 15 characters per line. Feel free to use both slides or just one slide.