April 4 to 8 is National Work Zone Awareness Week, which makes it a good time to give your employees vital information on driving safely in work zones. Spring is also the season when road construction projects start up in earnest, so your employees will undoubtedly be encountering work zones on their commutes or when driving for other work responsibilities.
Work Zone Awareness Week has been around for more than a decade and has shown statistical success, according to Tracy Scriba, reporting in the March/April 2010 issues of Public Roads,an online magazine. Scriba writes: “According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, the number of work zone fatalities has decreased in the United States every year since 2002. Data show that crashes in work zones caused 720 fatalities in 2008. That figure represents a 39 percent decrease from 2002, when 1,186 work zone fatalities occurred.”
The work zone campaign started in Virginia, but has now gone national with virtually every state participating in one way or another. Last year, for example, Kentucky participated in Work Zone Safety Week with a public awareness campaign that included statistics and safety tips. Give your employees these 10 tips for driving safely in work zones from the Kentucky Department of Transportation:
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- Expect the unexpected. Normal speed limits may be reduced; traffic lanes may be changed; and people may be working on or near the road.
- Slow down. Speeding is a major cause of work zone crashes.
- Don’t tailgate. Keep a safe distance—at least two vehicle lengths—between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead. The most common crash in a highway work zone is the rear-end collision.
- Keep a safe distance between your vehicle and construction workers and equipment.
- Pay attention to signage. Warning signs are there to help drivers move safely through the work zone. Observe posted signs until you see one that says you’ve left the work zone.
- Obey road crew flaggers. The flaggers know what’s best for moving safely in the work zone. More to the point, flaggers have legal authority, so you can be cited for disobeying their directions.
- Stay alert and minimize distractions. Dedicate your attention to the roadway. Avoid changing radio stations or using cell phones.
- Keep up with traffic flow. Motorists can help maintain traffic flow and posted speeds by merging as soon as possible. Don’t drive right up to the lane closure and try to barge in.
- Schedule enough time. Call 5-1-1 or your area’s traffic phone number, or visit your area’s 511 or other website for traffic and travel information.
- Be patient and stay calm. Remember, the work zone crew members are working to improve the road and make your future drive better.
If employees want more information on work zones, refer them to http://www.workzonesafety.org.
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Why It Matters
- In 1 recent year, there were 720 work zone fatalities, which represent 2 percent of all roadway fatalities that year. Over four out of every five work zone fatalities were motorists.
- There were also more than 40,000 injuries in work zones.
- There is one work zone fatality every 10 hours (2.3 a day).
- There is one work zone injury every 13 minutes (110 a day).