BOSTON (WPRI) — The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is calling on college students to help them create new billboards promoting safe driving.
The agency launched a contest to support National Work Zone Awareness Week, which is hosted by the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA).
Entrants must design a billboard for this year’s theme: “You play a role in work zone safety. Work with us.”
“We hope this contest will raise awareness about steps drivers are required to take when they approach and travel through work zones on the highway,” Transportation Secretary and CEO Gina Fiandaca said in a news release. “Injuries and deaths on our roads are preventable if drivers obey traffic laws, including laws around moving over for road crews and traveling at lower speeds in work zones.”
The contest is open to all students currently enrolled in Massachusetts colleges and universities.
Entries will be judged on appearance, quality of design, and connection to the theme, according to MassDOT. The three winning billboards will be on display along Massachusetts highways throughout construction season.
“Every year, work zone safety crashes lead to unnecessary deaths on our roadways, as well as traffic and project delays,” Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver added. “We are excited to see the creative content and informational PSA’s which will be submitted to help us communicate work zone safety.”
All entries must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Friday, April 21. The winners will be announced at the 2023 MassDOT Transportation Innovation Conference in May, as well as on MassDOT’s social media pages and Mass.gov.
