Get ready, Arizona. Monsoon season is back.  While the exact moment of when the first massive wall of dust will rise up from the desert floor isn’t known, it is coming.

With June 9 through 14 officially proclaimed Monsoon Awareness Week by Governor Doug Ducey, the Arizona Department of Transportation reminds everyone that now is the perfect time to brush up on the actions drivers can take to stay safe when confronted with blowing dust. 

The first thing motorists can do to stay out of harm’s way? Do not drive into a dust storm. Visibility can drop to zero and turn pitch black, meaning drivers are rendered totally blind and so is anyone else on the road. Visibility is quickly reduced to nearly nothing after driving into a dust storm.

In 2013, a 19-vehicle collision occurred during a dust storm on Interstate 10 near Picacho Peak and resulted in three fatalities and a dozen injuries.  Even if drivers don’t drive into the towering wall of dust, a dust channel can whip across the highway in front of drivers, engulfing a vehicle in a swirling sandstorm. If that happens, remember: “Pull Aside, Stay Alive.” 

ADOT has developed the following “Pull Aside, Stay Alive” dust storm safety driving tips, which can help motorists survive a blowing dust storm. 

• If you encounter a dust storm, immediately check traffic around your vehicle [front, back and to the side] and begin to slow down. 

• Do not wait until poor visibility makes it difficult to safely pull off the roadway, do it as soon as possible. Completely exit the highway if you can. 

• Do not stop in a travel lane or in the emergency lane. Look for a safe place to pull completely off the paved portion of the roadway. 

• Turn off all vehicle lights. You do not want other vehicles approaching from behind to use your lights as a guide and possibly crash into your parked vehicle. 

• Set your emergency brake and take your foot off the brake. 

• Stay in the vehicle with your seat belt buckled and wait for the storm to pass. 

• Drivers of high-profile vehicles should be espe­cially aware of changing weather conditions and travel at reduced speeds. 

More information on dust storm safety can be found at PullAsideStayAlive.org and safety tips for driving in rainstorms can be found at azdot.gov/monsoon.