Politics & Government
MassDOT Launches Highway Safety Message Contest #Dotspeak
Contest challenges the public to get creative and help stop bad behavior behind the wheel
Remember the “USE YAH BLINKAH” highway safety campaign last month across the state? Well now the Massachusetts Department of Transportation has a new contest looking for the best message from motorists, and the public can get involved!
On the heels of the USE YAH BLINKAH highway safety campaign, MassDOT Secretary & CEO Richard A. Davey this week joined Highway Administrator Frank DePaola and Registrar of Motor Vehicles Celia J. Blue to announce the agency’s #DOTSPEAK contest to solicit the best message from motorists on how to combat road rage, distracted driving and encourage seatbelt use.
“The national attention and viral nature of a simple message that encouraged motorists to follow the law and signal when changing lanes cannot be denied,” said Secretary Davey in a statement issued Monday. “We are hoping to hear your creative #DOTSPEAK ideas and together help stop bad behavior from happening behind the wheel.”
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Following the ‘CHANGING LANES? USE YAH BLINKAH’ highway message board campaign, MassDOT began reviewing its existing public safety campaigns to find new ways to use the message board medium to positively impact driver behavior and improve safety for all roadway users.
#DOTSPEAK entries may use local vernacular or contain common texting abbreviations, no profanity please. The messages must adhere to the highway sign character limitations. You can share your ideas on Twitter @MassDOT, Facebook.com/MassDOTInfo and on Instagram @MassDOT with #DOTSPEAK.
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Contest winners will have their message displayed on hundreds of message boards across the Commonwealth during some of the busiest travel periods of the year:
Road Rage Winner (August 15-18 -- a top 10 travel weekend based on 2013 toll data)
Distracted Driving Winner (Labor Day Weekend)
Seatbelt Use Winner (Columbus Day Weekend)
Each winner will also receive a $50 gift card from MassDOT service plaza partners: Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, Exxon Mobil, and McDonald’s. In addition, service plaza partner Gulf will provide each winner with a $100 gift card. The deadline for entries in the #DOTSPEAK contest is August 1.
The challenge is to create a two panel message, 3 lines per panel, and 8 characters per line.
View more details on the contest, as well as what characters you can use in designing your message on the MassDOT’s website >>>Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
