Slow Down! It’s Work Zone Awareness Week
With road construction projects sprouting up all over Chicago and the State of Illinois, local agencies have announced their participation in National Work Zone Awareness Week.
Both the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois Tollway Authority and a handful of other groups have launched the Embrace the Orange Campaign to reduce traffic related crashes, injuries and deaths in road work zones.
Work Zone Awareness Week began Monday, April 23rd and runs through Friday.
IDOT says there are an average of over 7,000 work zone crashes in Illinois each year. Last year, 24 people died in work zones statewide. Of the 24, one victim was a pedestrian, two were construction workers, and 21 were drivers or vehicle passengers.The goal is to reduce work zone deaths to zero.
“With 2012 construction under way, the Embrace the Orange campaign strongly encourages all motorists and workers to be extremely cautious this year and take all necessary steps to be aware and protect themselves in and around work zones,” said Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Ann L. Schneider. “Last year, 21 fatal crashes in work zones occurred across the state, including one of IDOT’s own employees. Although this marks the lowest rate in four years, IDOT and its partners are determined to help ensure that there are no more work zone fatalities – one work zone crash, fatality or injury is one too many.”
According to IDOT speed and inattentiveness while driving through road construction areas are major contributing factors to work zone crashes.
“Construction zones can become fatal zones if road safety precautions are not followed and the Illinois State Police is committed to an overall zero fatality goal that also includes reducing work zone crashes,” said Illinois State Police Operational Services Commander Jay Keevan. “Our Driving Zero Fatalities to a Reality message is clear and it should remind every motorist that every life counts and one life lost is one too many.”
Since 2004, if you’re caught speeding through a work zone, the fine is $375 for first-time offenders, $1,000 for second-time offenders which also comes with the loss of the offender’s driver’s license for 90 days.
If If a motorist strikes a worker, they could face a $10,000 fine and up to 14 years in prison.
The Illinois State Police warn that photo speed enforcement vans will again be deployed during construction season.
Drivers should slow down while in work zones be attentive–especially if mobile speed cam vans are present. That’s because signs announcing the vans’ presence are posted at the entrance to a work zone and a speed indicator mounted above the van gives the driver a last chance to slow down before a ticket is issued by mail.
GEEK TIP: Give workers a brake. Slow down and pay attention driving through work zones this construction season. Not only is it safer for you and workers, but work zone tickets are costly.
Not meant as an excuse for the drivers, but a suggestion to IDOT/CDOT/various agencies.
Don’t mark off an entire zone weeks before you’re going to use it. That frustrates drivers and causes them to get complacent about speed when they see miles and miles marked off with literally nothing being done until you get 5 miles into a project. So don’t mark all that area off until you’re going to start work.
GLG,
I like your thinking here–as usual.
But, I wonder if, due to the time and labor it takes to erect these work zones, maybe they need the long lead times? Just a thought.
Also, I wonder if they erect them so far ahead of time, that they are trying to get people to be aware that work is being done and try to get people to start slowing down ahead of when the workers come on site.
But I would agree, put it up days before work begins not weeks or months.
It’s less so in the city and burbs then in the big construction zones in rural areas. eg, on 90 going to Wisconsin or 55 to St Louis. On both last year, I encountered work zones that were many miles long with big sections where nothing had been done yet (and a later check showed the project had already been going on for weeks). Instead of blocking off the mile or two that they were working on at the time, the blocked off 10.
When I enter a construction zone in which construction is currently being done, with modified lanes, workers… I am just trapped in the traffic which goes 20 miles over the limit. I can do little, maybe just lowering my speed 5 miles respect to the rest of the traffic. People don’t seem to care about construction zone limits, even when it is clear that workers are around.
I concur with the suggestions to reduce the work zone areas. This will in turn reduce fatalities, as work zones generally have narrower lanes and shoulders.
Then again, this being Illinois, safety always takes a backseat to revenue generation. More work zones certainly mean more revenue opportunities.