Local News
Motorists urged to use extreme caution in work zones
GREENVILLE — The Texas Department of Transportation and Department of Public Safety are urging motorists to exercise extreme caution in work zones.
April 6 through 10 is National Work Zone Awareness Week, and local TxDOT and DPS officials held a conference regarding work zone safety on the Interstate 30 north frontage road in Greenville Tuesday morning.
“The first word that should come to a motorist’s mind is caution, but the first word that normally comes to mind is delay” said Craig Miser, area engineer with the TxDOT Paris District office in Greenville.
There are more than 800 fatalities in and 40,000 injuries in work zones across the country each year. There are approximately 150 work zone fatalities in Texas each year.
According to TxDOT, men are nearly three times more likely to be killed in a work zone accident, 30 percent of victims are under the age of 25 and one in three are drug or alcohol related.
In the past four years, there have been five fatalities in work zones in the Paris District, one of which was a TxDOT employee. There are 27 current construction and 99 maintenance projects underway in the Paris District.
TxDOT is urging motorists to: Expect the unexpected, slow down, do not tailgate, stay clear of cones and barriers, stay alert, keep up with traffic and be patient.
“Just yesterday we had a truck-tractor crash outside of the Interstate 30 work zone area,” said DPS Cpl. J. Simpson. “We try to show a good presence,” said Simpson.
Representatives from the Interstate 30 project contractor, Austin Bridge and Road, were also in attendance.
“Our top priority in what we do is safety,” said Project Manager Robert Webber, adding that mistakes happen quickly.
“Our commitment to safety starts from the top and works down to our crews,” said Safety Manager Julio Iglesias. However, he added that motorists must be alert and exercise caution in work zones in order to prevent accidents.
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