Drivers should always remember to be on high alert when traveling through work zones, but all too often, we know this isn’t the case. Let us all stay vigilant to ensure that National Work Zone Awareness Week from April 3 through 7 stays as accident free as possible.
This year’s theme is “Work Zone Safety Is in Your Hands.” American Structurepoint joins with the Federal Highway Administration in asking motorists to slow down in work zones, give their full attention to the work occurring around them, and to expect the unexpected.
Pay attention to the reduced speed limit in work zones. Exceeding the speed limit doesn’t buy you that much time. According to an Indiana government website, the difference between driving 65 MPH and 45 MPH through a 2-mile work zone is a minute.
According to the 2017 edition of “Injury Facts,” a chart book from the National Safety Council, 700 deaths and 35,500 injuries occurred in work zone crashes in 2015. Approximately 40,000 crashes occur in work zones every year. A vast majority of these occur because drivers are following too closely, speeding, or are inattentive.
Workers in roadway construction zones are real people with real families. The Indiana State Transportation Workers Foundation was formed in 2006 to address the real adversity these families face when a loved one is killed or disabled while working. American Structurepoint Executive Vice President and Partner Greg Henneke is the president of this 501 (c) (3) organization that strives to ensure these family members are not forgotten. In fact, the organization is taking steps to expand its reach to offer hardship funds and scholarships to these families.
It’s unsettling, but true, that work zones can become an accident scene within seconds. Please remember that, not only this week, but always.
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