Working Together for Work Zone Safety
"Slow
Down. It Won't Kill You." That's the message motorists in Georgia
are getting as they travel through work zones, thanks to a new campaign
by the Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT). Drivers approaching
work zones in Alabama, meanwhile, are being reminded that "People
Work There." These and other efforts to promote safety and mobility
in work zones will be spotlighted during the second annual National
Work Zone Awareness Week, to be held April 9-12, 2001. The week is
being jointly sponsored by the American Association of State Highway
and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), American Traffic Safety Services
Association (ATSSA), and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
The awareness week will kick off on April 9 with a media event on
the National Mall in Washington, DC. This event will commemorate the
868 work zone fatalities that occurred in 1999 and highlight nationwide
initiatives to improve work zones, as well as things individual drivers
can do to make travel through work zones safer. These "Safety
Tips to Live By" include turning on headlights in work zones,
keeping up with the traffic flow, and refraining from changing lanes.
The
first Work Zone Awareness Week, held April 2-8, 2000, prompted a number
of observances by State and local transportation agencies. The Arizona
DOT, for example, held a press conference near an Interstate work
zone site in Phoenix that featured two DOT maintenance employees who
had been involved in a work zone crash. The Virginia DOT, meanwhile,
launched a campaign aimed at both drivers and highway workers that
promoted the theme of teamwork in construction zones. And the Connecticut
DOT and its many partners, including the Department of Motor Vehicles
and the Connecticut Construction Industries Association, showcased
"Operation Big Orange." This is a police enforcement effort
designed to reduce speeds through construction and maintenance work
zones.
The
2000 Work Zone Awareness Week was also observed by ATSSA members in
30 States. Events included a press conference held by the New Jersey
chapter at Thunder Stadium in Trenton, New Jersey, and visits by members
of the Florida chapter to State legislators. "Work zone safety
is a year long focus for our members," says Jim Baron of ATSSA.
"Most of their days are spent in the work zone and many of them
have suffered the loss of a worker. This is a subject near and dear
to them."
For more information on National Work Zone Awareness Week, contact
Mike Robinson at FHWA, 202-366-2193 (email: mike.robinson@fhwa.dot.gov),
Jim Baron at ATSSA, 540-368-1701 (email: jimb@atssa.com),
or Jennifer Gavin at AASHTO, 202-624-3690 (email: jgavin@aashto.org).
Information is also available on the Web at www.atssa.com
or http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/wz_awareness.htm.
For more details on operating safe and effective work zones, contact
the Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse (wzsafety.tamu.edu/).
Sponsored by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association
and FHWA, the Clearinghouse offers users a chance to check out what's
new in work zone safety, ask questions, and submit information on
their own best practices. You can also reach the Clearinghouse at
888-447-5556 (fax: 979-845-0568; email: workzone@tamu.edu).
Other
articles in this issue:
In
Brief
Working
together for work zone safety
Lessons learned from European work zones
A QuickZone tailor-made for Maryland
Work zone innovations: Get the facts
Highway technology calendar
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