MEDIA EVENT * MEDIA EVENT * MEDIA EVENT
WHAT: Local Agencies Join Forces to Kick-Off
Work Zone Awareness Week
WHEN: Thursday, April 3 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
WHERE: 7300 E. Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale, 85250 (SE corner of Indian
Bend & Scottsdale Roads). Parking will be available at the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park located at 7301 E. Indian Bend Road.
Phoenix, Ariz., April 1, 2008 – On Thursday, April 3, the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS), Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), Friends and Families of Roadway Workers (FFRW), AAA Arizona and local transportation officials are teaming up to kick-off Work Zone Awareness Week. This year, the ninth annual campaign will be observed from April 7-11.
At the press event, local transportation officials will:
- Report on the latest statewide and national facts and statistics concerning work zone collisions, injuries and fatalities.
- Speak to the importance of Work Zone Awareness Week and this year’s campaign theme: “Slow for the Cone Zone.”
- Pay tribute to motorists and workers who lost their lives in Arizona work zones during 2006 with a traffic cone memorial.
“Arizona is seventh in the nation for work zone fatalities with 31 lives lost in construction and maintenance zones in 2006, which is a 35 percent increase from the 23 work zone fatalities incurred in 2005,” said Director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Richard Fimbres. “We remind motorists to follow the posted speed limits and remain aware of workers and equipment not just during Work Zone Awareness Week but every time they drive through work zones. When motorists do not adhere to traffic laws in work zones, they are not only breaking the law, they are posing a serious danger to other motorists, passengers and roadway workers.”
To keep drivers and roadway workers safe in work zones, Friends and Families of Roadway Workers, AAA Arizona and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety would like to offer motorists a “Top Ten” list of tips to ensure work zone safety:
10. Slow down! Speeding is one of the major causes of work zone
crashes. Reducing your speed will not only reduce your risk of becoming involved in a work zone crash, but it will also prevent you from receiving a citation and double fine when workers are present.
9. Expect the unexpected. In work zones, normal speed limits are reduced, traffic lanes may be changed and people may be working on or near the road.
8. Don’t tailgate. The most common crash in a work zone is a rear end collision. Keep a safe distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.
7. Keep a safe distance between your vehicle and the construction workers and their equipment.
6. Pay attention! Warning signs posted at the onset of a work zone are there to help motorists move safely through the area. Observe these posted signs until you see one that states you are leaving the work zone.
5. Minimize distractions. When driving through a work zone and always, dedicate your full attention to the roadway.
4. Obey road crew flaggers. Flaggers know what is best for moving traffic safely in a work zone. Keep in mind that these workers have the same authority as a regulatory sign and failure to obey their directions can result in a citation.
3. Keep up with the traffic flow. Motorists can help to maintain posted speeds and traffic flow by merging as soon as possible. By waiting to merge until the last minute, motorists are endangering themselves, other motorists and roadway workers.
2. Leave early! If you know your planned route includes a work zone, leave your home a few minutes early so you can be sure to reach your destination on time.
1. Be patient. Remember that work zones are there to improve the road, not to inconvenience you.
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Note: The media is invited and encouraged to attend this event. Interviews and live shots will be available. Please contact Michelle Donati at 602.650.2726 or 520.419.2714 to arrange. |
