Tulsans Reminded This Week of Work Zone Awareness
National Work Zone Awareness Week is this week, April 4 - 8.
This year's theme is "Safer Driving Equals Safer Work Zones - for
Everyone," and highlights the need for caution on the road,
especially through construction areas.
To emphasize the seriousness of the situation, those involved
with work zones and roadway safety gathered in Tulsa and Oklahoma
City for the annual event. Dan Crossland, Public Works Deputy
Director of Facilities Maintenance, spoke on behalf of the City of
Tulsa.
"Our Street Maintenance employees receive thorough training
regarding work zone safety," Crossland said. "We take this very
seriously, knowing the risks involved."
Drivers also are reminded to stay alert and heed warnings when
approaching the familiar orange cones and barricades of marked
construction zones by dedicating full attention to the roadway,
avoiding the use of mobile devices or changing radio stations,
leaving an adequate stopping distance between vehicles and allowing
additional time to arrive at their destinations.
Statistics show that four out of five of those killed in work
zones are motorists and passengers in vehicles traveling through
the work zone, indicating that driver behavior in work zones has a
direct effect on a driver's own safety, as well as the safety of
the workers.
In 2009, 667 people were killed nationwide in highway work zone
collisions, the most recent year of available complete statistics.
In Oklahoma, 18 people lost their lives between January and
November 2010. Also in 2010, preliminary figures show that 748
people were injured in 1,407 collisions in Oklahoma work zones -
the highest number of work zone collisions and greatest amount of
injuries in the last decade.
