SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol (CHP) is joining with the California State Transportation Agency and California Department of
Transportation to observe National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week April 7-11, 2014, and bring attention to the dangers of traveling through work zone areas.
“Work zones on our state’s highways can be complex, especially in urban areas. There are often bright lights, workers near the traffic lanes, and slow-moving or parked vehicles. Awareness and planning are keys to safe driving,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “We would like to encourage motorists to slow down and drive cautiously in work zones.”
Safety on the highways is paramount for all motorists. In work zone areas this is especially true where there can be multiple pedestrians, bright lights or parked vehicles, as fast traffic whizzes by. It only takes a split second of inattention to destroy the life of someone working on California’s roads. According to data from CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System, the number of collisions in construction zones has risen from 1,155 in 2010, to 1,322 in 2011. In 2011, those collisions resulted in the deaths of 44 people and more than 2,000 people injured. Since 1921, 182 California Department of Transportation workers have been killed in work zone area incidents. “Nothing is more important than the safety of our workers, contractors, and the traveling public. National Work Zone Awareness Week is a reminder that safety is a year-round priority, and
everyone can help by staying alert and slowing down in work zones,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. California law requires drivers to move over or slo
w down when a parked emergency or Caltrans vehicle is flashing emergency or warning lights. Change lanes safely or, if unsafe or impracticable, slow to a speed that is safe for existing conditions. The mission of the California Highway Patrol is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security to the people of California.
