Arizona Saving You From Dust Storms —With Haiku

Arizona transportation officials are getting the message out about dust storm safety—in precisely 17 syllables. The Arizona Department of Transportation is encouraging Twitter users to tweet haikus around the theme of safe driving in haboobs, the severe dust storms that hit Phoenix in the summer. An example, from Phoenix resident Mindy Lee, who goes by the Twitter handle mindyblee: "Haboobs blow through town / In one instant it is dark / Pull over and wait."

A Transportation spokesman says the agency was looking for a creative way to engage residents in its "Pull Aside Stay Alive" campaign. So far it has seen more than 30 entries and are re-tweeting some of the best ones. The haiku challenge runs through tomorrow. Tweeters are asked to include the hashtag #HaboobHaiku. (More haiku stories.)