Slow down, you’re going too fast

by Clair Urbain

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) just released its report on roadway work zone related fatalities for 2002. Regrettably, the trend line is not good. Fatalities have increased over 70 percent since 1997 and we lost 102 more fellow workers in 2002 than in 2001.

On average, three workers a day are killed while working to improve our nation’s roads, highways and bridges.

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) attributes the increase to the growth in construction projects repairing and upgrading existing roads. That puts workers closer to moving traffic and closer to deadly danger.

We’ve written about making work zones safer (check out past articles in the story archives of our Website, www.contractortoolsandsupplies.com), but that’s only part of the solution.

The other part is all drivers reducing speed in orange barrel zones. Slow down. Give a little more distance to the cars around you. Watch for that worker who may be near the road.

If you work in road construction, make sure your zones are properly marked. If you drive through a work zone, give the workers the respect due them by slowing down and being extra-alert to fast-changing conditions.

Published in the November/December 2003 issue of Contractor Tools and Supplies magazine.

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