Courtesy Maine Department of Transportation | BDN Courtesy Maine Department of Transportation | BDN 
 
 By Callie Ferguson , BDN Staff • May 25, 2018 4:05 pm 
 
 Updated: May 26, 2018 8:12 am 
 
 Here they are: the winning submissions to the state Department of Transportation’s “My Maine Sign” contest, where contest hopefuls vied to get their safety-themed message on one of the flashing highway signs that line Maine’s interstates. 
 
 The six winners — which reflect a combination of cleverness and classic Maine wit – beat out more than 2,000 other entries submitted before the contest period closed in mid-March. 
 
 Entries were split into two categories based on sign size. 
 
 To appear on the smaller-sized road signs: 
 
 — “Put Down UR Cell — Or You May End Up In One,” by Katie Landry. 
 
 — “Spend Money On Lobstahs — Not Speeding Tickets,” by Dan Zarin. 
 
 — “Little Known Fact — Snow Is Really Slippery,” by Tim Fahey. 
 
 And on the larger road signs: 
 
 — “A Cold Suppah Is Bettah Thana Hot Ticket,” by Craig Carver. 
 
 — “Be Protected — Not Projected – Buckle Up,” by Laura Giuliano. 
 
 — “Keep In Mind — Moose Eyes Don’t Shine,” by Terry White. 
 
 Drivers can expect to see these clever cautions posted along the highway in the coming year. Officials said they change up sign messages every two weeks or so. 
 
 Follow the Bangor Daily News on Facebook for the latest Maine news. ||||| Maine Department of Transportation | BDN Maine Department of Transportation | BDN 
 
 Maine Department of Transportation | BDN Maine Department of Transportation | BDN 
 
 By Callie Ferguson , BDN Staff • March 23, 2018 9:55 am 
 
 Updated: March 23, 2018 12:59 pm 
 
 State officials are combing through 2,000 contest entries vying to be the next cautionary pun to blink across the humorous highway safety signs that line the Maine interstate. 
 
 Voting will begin in early April on finalists’ submissions to the statewide contest “My Maine Sign,” in which the public submitted their ideas to the Department of Transportation. 
 
 Since the winter of 2016, the signs have entertained drivers with clever warnings and safety humor. They’ve always been written by DOT officials, who change them every two weeks or so, often with a nod to the nearest holiday (“Santa sees you when you’re speeding”) or major drinking event, like the Superbowl (“87 is Gronk’s number — not the speed limit”). 
 
 The submission period closed March 18. To enter, contest hopefuls had to squeeze their funny messages into a few, short sentences that discouraged unsafe behavior, such as distracted or impaired driving, speeding or texting behind the wheel. 
 
 After DOT officials pick finalists — likely by the end of the month — the public will vote using the department’s website, DOT spokesman Ted Talbot said. 
 
 The winner not only gets his or her suggestion in neon lights but also a custom street sign from the state’s sign shop. 
 
 Finalists will also win a number of transportation-related prizes, including a ride to the top of the Penobscot Narrows Bridge & Observatory, tickets on the Maine State Ferry and a state park vehicle pass. 
 
 But anyone’s submission may someday get its time to shine — or blink, actually — as the DOT intends to archive the best ideas for future use, Talbot said. 
 
 Follow the Bangor Daily News on Facebook for the latest Maine news. ||||| Character Limits: 
 
 Remember, spaces count towards the character limit. 
 
 Small Sign: You can have up to a 2 "page" message. Each page is limited to 3 lines of 8 or less characters per line. 
 
 Large Sign: One page message with 3 lines of 16 or less characters per line. 
 
 Safety Message Theme 
 
 Below are some suggested safety themes: 
 
 Distracted Driving 
 
 Impaired Driving 
 
 (i.e. drugs, alcohol, drowsy driving) 
 
 (i.e. drugs, alcohol, drowsy driving) Seatbelts 
 
 Speeding General Safety 
 
 (i.e. secure your load & other misc. items) 
 
 (i.e. secure your load & other misc. items) Wildlife 
 
 Winter Driving 
 
 Events 
 
 (i.e. holidays, sporting events, movies) 
 
 Winner Selection 
 
 MaineDOT will select finalists for each changeable message sign size. 
 
 All finalists will receive their choice of one of the following prizes: A Ride to the top of Penobscot Narrows Bridge & Observatory Tickets from the Maine State Ferry Service A vehicle pass to one of the Maine State Parks 
 
 
 
 Grand Prize 
 
 The finalists will then be put out to a public vote, with one grand prize winner from each group (small signs & large signs). The grand prize winners will receive a Personalized Street Sign from our official sign shop!
– It's springtime in Vacationland, and Mainers are celebrating the return of sunshine with a dose of their acerbic wit. As the Bangor Daily News reports, MaineDOT is rolling out a new round of highway signs promoting safety—and they are the work of the people of Maine who entered a contest. While MaineDOT noted in the contest page that while, "(Hey – we’re state government, we don’t have a lot of prize money hanging around," winners "will have the GLORY of having your words in neon lights (Well...LED lights actually)!" Without ado, the winners, picked from some 2,000 entries: Put Down UR Cell—Or You May End Up In One, by Katie Landry Spend Money On Lobstahs—Not Speeding Tickets, by Dan Zarin Little Known Fact—Snow Is Really Slippery, by Tim Fahey A Cold Suppah Is Bettah Thana Hot Ticket, by Craig Carver Be Protected—Not Projected—Buckle Up, by Laura Giuliano Keep In Mind—Moose Eyes Don’t Shine, by Terry White MaineDOT has been playing with funny road signs since winter 2016, notes the Daily News, with officials writing their own seasonally appropriate puns. Past examples include, "Santa sees you when you’re speeding" and Super Bowl-themed "87 is Gronk’s number—not the speed limit."