TDOT Launches Make Travel Bright Safety Sign Contest

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is pleased to announce a contest to see who can come up with the best holiday safety message for dynamic highway signs. The competition gives Tennessee motorists the opportunity to help the department raise awareness of various safety issues and save lives.

TDOT is accepting registrations starting today. Entries will be considered for five traffic safety categories: seat belt use, impaired driving, distracted driving, speeding and aggressive driving.

“This contest is a fun way to engage citizens and help TDOT achieve our goal of saving lives by engaging drivers and reminding them to practice safe driving habits,” the lieutenant governor said and TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley. “We encourage drivers to check message boards daily for important travel information. This holiday season, we want everyone to reach their destination safely.”

Participating in the competition is easy! Just click this link on the TDOT “Make Travel Bright Safety Sign Contest” website.

The competition website will list the categories and allow you to enter your message and submit your entry. The competition runs until December 11th. Then, starting Dec. 16, TDOT will allow the public to vote on the best stories on the Facebook page @myTDOT. The winning message will be rotated and displayed on the dynamic signs posted above across the country. Keep it clean! Any message containing obscene or offensive comments will be disqualified. The message boards may not be used for advertising purposes; Please refrain from using names of sports teams, singers, etc. in your posts.

A total of 217 dynamic signs are located in the state’s four urban areas (Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis, Nashville) and in some rural areas throughout the state. The main purpose of the signs is to alert drivers to incidents, road blockages, dangerous road conditions or yellow warnings. In 2012, TDOT became the first transportation department in the country to display the number of traffic fatalities on its signs. In addition to the death statistics, safety warnings are displayed outside of peak travel times.